Kate
The dress unforgivingly clung to all the wrong places as I looked at it in the mirror. Only looking like a stuffed sausage could be worse than Jonathan seeing me in my sweats.
“I think it looks fine,” Erin said, coming up behind me with her palm on her stomach just incase I forgot she was pregnant.
“Thanks.”
I wasn’t interested in much conversation with her. A roof over my head with the only person I considered a friend in this city was what drove me to continue. She’d handed me my notice at a point in time when I needed to stay the most, and as much as I tried to I couldn’t get past that. It was still too raw, too soon and I was far too hurt.
She sat down on my bed and looked at me.
“He seems pretty forceful, Kate. You know you don’t have to go with him if you don’t want to.”
If only she knew. If only she understood the inner turmoil I had inside when I thought about him or what he could make me do with just one touch.
I turned to her, not really sure of what I was about to say. I felt it, I just couldn’t explain it.
“That’s just the way he is, Erin. He’s harmless.”
“Are you sure? I’ve seen his car downstairs and Greg thinks men like him use power to take advantage of women like…” she trailed off and looked down at her stomach.
“Women like me? You mean those who’ve been left to fend for themselves in life? Those with nothing and those with no one?”
“I mean,” she stood up and walked towards me, resting an unwelcome hand on my shoulder, “those who are looking for someone to fill that void. Go ahead, but don’t say we didn’t warn you. Money doesn’t mean he’s a good guy. Men like that treat women like shit.”
“You don’t know how he treats me,” I offered, the seed of doubt beginning to grow in my head.
“You’ll find out though soon enough.” She went back to caressing her stomach. “I’m sure he’ll lavish you with gifts for now, but tomorrow, once he’s taken what we wants if you haven’t given it already, he’ll be onto the next. He’s a predator.”
“Well thanks for the support!” I snapped, as she turned to walk away. I wanted to say more, but I couldn’t risk being thrown out early, not when I hadn’t had a chance to find somewhere new to live.
I waited in my room, taking deep breaths until I heard the kitchen door close, and then I left the apartment as tears of frustration and anger welled up in my eyes. I tried as hard as I could to blink them away as I left the building and walked down the steps.
Jonathan was there resting on the car waiting for me. When he saw me he stood upright, his eyes travelling over every inch of my body, lingering on the curves of my hips and thighs, the parts that I’d been so eager and desperate to hide.
“How do I look?” I asked, subconsciously clasping my hands in front of my stomach whilst being aware that the only make up I had on was some concealor to hide my bags.
“Exceptional,” he said, a smiled breaking out on his handsome face. “I knew that dress would be perfect on you.”
I walked towards him, the only stilettos I owned scraping the sidewalk. He kissed my cheek as we came together and stepped back looking into my eyes.
“You’ve been crying,” he said.
I nodded.
“It’s nothing, just life and the people, or lack of, that are in it.”
“There are many things I’m good at and I have to say that listening is one of my strong points.”
I smiled.
“You won’t want to hear this. It’s a long, not so interesting sob story.”
He looked at me for a moment and took my hand, kissing it.
“Have dinner with me I want to hear every detail. Maybe I can help?”
I followed him to the car, blushing at his offer of potentially being my knight in shining armor. I’d only ever supported myself through life. No one had ever helped me before, so the idea was almost overwhelming.
James opened the door for us and we both got in. My nerves pushed at my stomach, and as the car pulled away from the curb he rested a firm hand on my thigh, holding it there and claiming his territory.
“How did you know I was here?” I asked, the question suddenly jumping into my head. “I mean, how did you know I wasn’t at work?”
“I’ve been there. I went to the bar…”
I felt the heat rise to my cheeks again.
“Oh…”
“Apparently you no longer work there?”
I nodded slowly.
“They saw me with you at the bar and then going up to your room and leaving a little later. It’s all just messed up and…”
I stopped as he pushed the hair back from my shoulders exposing the skin there.
“Then all of this is my fault. I’m sorry and I hope you’ll let me do everything possible to put it right. Everything.”
“I think it’s too late…”
“You don’t know what I have in mind,” he whispered, “I can’t have you feeling like this because of me.”
I shuddered with pleasure at the feel of his breath against my shoulder. He’d only spent a few hours with me almost a month ago, yet he knew exactly how to ignite the fire and passion within me, and he knew exactly what to do to render me speechless and give myself up to him.
I turned to face him, our lips inches from each others. He looked down at mine, licking his own and the sexual tension, that had been paused all those days ago, exploded between us.
I felt his hand slide under my dress and further up my thigh until he cupped my heat through my panties.
I moaned as he pressed onto my clit, rubbing it with his palm. I threw my head back onto the seat, arching against it. He touched his lips to my shoulder before they travelled up my neck and across my jaw so lightly that I found myself yearning for more, and when his lips eventually met mine I kissed him back, desperate to take it further, to leave dinner and go somewhere private. Who had I become?
I pulled away from his kiss to moan as his fingers pushed the fabric of my panties aside and found their way inside me, exploring my hidden depths. For that moment, I was completely his. I was lost in him.
I opened my eyes, suddenly aware of James in front of us, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. I sat upright in my seat, trying to ignore the fact that Jonathan’s fingers were about to send me stratospheric. He used his other hand to turn my face back towards him.
“What about James?” I hissed, as he lips brushed my neck.
“Don’t worry about him,” he directed. “Focus on me only.”
I closed my eyes, blocking him and the rest of the world out as I felt the tension spreading through my stomach. He stimulated me with such ease that I couldn’t hold on for much longer.
“Jonathan…” I said his name, barely able to speak as one hand grabbed hold of the armrest and the other one tangled into his hair, pulling at it as I felt my orgasm building.
“Don’t hold back,” he said in a low voice against my ear.
His words and the gruffness of his voice sent me over the edge and I came, hand over my mouth to stop me crying out in front of his driver. My body shook and my hips bucked against his hand.
He withdrew his fingers as I took my hand away from my mouth and looked at him, trying to catch my breath.
“I…” The words refused to come to the surface as I sat there spent and disheveled.
He smiled, kissing my shoulder again. I moved my hand down to press against his erection, but he removed it and the car stopped.
“I think there’s plenty of time for that later, don’t you?”
He looked at me, his green eyes full of lust, anticipation, and a confidence that only he could have.
The door on his side opened suddenly and our moment was gone in an instant.
I pulled my dress down quickly and followed Jonathan out of the car into the lights of the city, my body still coming to terms with the biggest orgasm it had ever been put through.
I stood up, nervous, giddy, and embarrassed that everyone around us was aware of what we’d just been doing, but he offered me a reassuring smile as we walked into the restaurant, his arm clasped firmly around my waist. Friday 5th Jan 11
I pushed Erin’s words to the back of my mind. Of course I knew that men like Jonathan only wanted one thing. They wanted, loved, and craved sex. Anything more, anything emotional was off limits. He was the type of man that made a woman fall in love with him and then the next week she’d be left waiting for his calls. He was bad news, an emotional repellent with eyes that could make any woman turn around and give him anything he wanted, but not me. I wasn’t the type of woman to fall for someone like him. I’d been hurt way too many times to let my guard down even a little bit.
I only wanted sex too. I couldn’t deal with emotions, drama and feelings so I knew, everything was going to be fine between us as long as I didn’t fall for him—as long as I didn’t let go of the reason I fought so hard to protect myself and my feelings from ever being hurt.
Mirotic was an elegant, exclusive restaurant in the heart of New York. I knew from overhearing conversations at the hotel bar that the waiting list was almost three months long. As we approached the host, whose eyes lit up when he saw Jonathan, I was glad of his reassuring arm around me that allowed him to maneuver me through the main room towards the back where behind a sheer curtain was a table for two.
Jonathan slipped some bills into the hosts’ pocket and they exchanged a few hushed words to each other before he left.
“I hope you’re satisfied by my choice of venue?” he whispered into my ear, pulling the chair out for me to sit down on. I lowered myself down onto it, keeping my eyes on his and watching as he sat to my side. “It’s one of my favorites.”
“I… I love it. Thank you. How did you…? I thought…?”
He laughed easily, moving his hand so the waiter that had just joined us could pour our glasses of Laurent Perrier, and once he’d gone he leaned in closer to me, his eyes suddenly serious.
“You’re worth it, Kate.”
I kept his eye contact before looking away and picking up my glass to take a sip.
“Jonathan, I…”
“I know,” he interrupted. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy you.”
He picked up his glass too and held it towards me.”
“Let’s toast.”
“To…?”
“To exploring the boundaries of friendship and pushing ourselves to the limit.”
I didn’t toast to it, so he tapped my glass instead and took a sip.
“Tell me, what happened back there at your apartment?”
“You mean the tears?”
He nodded.
“You’re young, vivacious, full of life…”
“And unemployed not to mention homeless,” I cut in.
“Oh. I see.”
“My roommate and the only friend I had in the world is having a baby and dropped the bombshell on me with one month’s notice.”
“One month’s notice for what?”
“For me to leave. That’s when the baby’s crib comes, apparently, and she wants to start decorating the nursery, so that’s me out and our friendship gone.”
“You don’t have any other friends or family perhaps that could take you in?”
I shook my head, not wanting to open up to him too much about the reason why I was alone and the reason why without Erin I had nothing and no one.
“It’s just me. Me and my belongings.”
“Then I have the perfect solution.”
He stopped as the waiter returned again to take our order. He chose for me, picking the fillet beef served with dauphinoise potatoes and a bouquet of seasonal vegetables, and I felt happiness spread through me that he wasn’t the type to order me a salad or something equally bland.
He waited for him to gather our menus and leave before turning back to me, his voice low but firm.
“Allow me to solve your problems, Kate. All of them.”
“I won’t accept your handouts,” I said quickly before he continued, scared of being embarrassed as I suddenly allowed it to sink in that I was out to dinner with a billionaire and I had nothing to offer.
“Kate…”
“I’m not one of those women that can be bought, Jonathan. I’ve had to go through life helping myself because there was no one around to support me, it’s just the way I am. If this whole gesture of turning up on my door and plying me with expensive food is a way for you to control me then it ends now. I’m not interested in a sugar daddy.”
I went to stand up, shaking the table accidently with my hip as he sighed and shook his head.
“Sit down,” he said, his voice still low and calm.
I didn’t so he turned it up a level.
“Kate! Sit down!”
I sunk back to the chair quickly, instantly regretting my outburst. I could feel the heat climb to my cheeks as it so often did.
Years of fending for myself had made me hardened to being offered handouts and donations from people. I’d done the years of people pitying me, and all the pent up anger had been unleashed on Jonathan leaving me mortified.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, unable to look at him. “It’s just a sore point in my life right now. I just find it hard to… I can’t…”
“You don’t have to talk about it. It’s fine, it’s okay.”
He pushed my glass of champagne toward me and I took a large gulp before taking a deep breath and exhaling.
“Better?”
I nodded.
“All of that just came from a bad place,” I explained. “I’m so unbelievably sorry. I just… everything is just so hard. See? I told you I was complicated.”
“Well then, seeing as it’s half my fault and I wouldn’t be a gentleman if I didn’t do something, let me un-complicate things,” he took a sip of his champagne. “Marry me.”
The words took a moment to register, and once they did, I thought I’d heard him incorrectly.
“What did you just say?”
“Marry me Kate,” he repeated. “Become my wife and your problems will be solved instantly.”
I laughed nervously.
“Are you joking?”
He shook his head, his face serious.
“Just say yes,” he pushed. “You wouldn’t have to worry about money or finding a place to live. I have a number of houses and you can take your pick.”
I sat looking at the bubbles in my glass for a moment before looking back at him. He was watching me intently.
“I mean, even a job would suffice. I saw an opening for a receptionist at DavenCorp and…”
“Okay, well think of it as a job then.” He interrupted. “I’ll employ you to marry me.”
“But wait, let me get this clear. You want to marry me… like an arrangement? Nothing to do with love?”
“Correct. No love or drama, just a business deal. You get what you want and I get…”
“What you want,” I finished, with visions in my head of being his sex slave, tied up in his bedroom with my legs spread ready to receive him whenever he wanted.
“Which is? You don’t need to arrange a marriage, Jonathan. Look at you! You must have had piles of wedding proposals in your life. Why now and why with me? What’s in it for you?”
“That’s for another time, Kate, but I can promise you it’s nothing kinky or weird or even remotely sexual.”
“So basically you have a large inheritance you can’t get until your married?”
He laughed.
“Too many Harlequin romances have made you blur reality and fiction.”
“How on earth do you even know about those books?”
“I have an office full of women chasing their next long haired lothario in the hay and a mom whose shelf is full of them.”
His eyes clouded over and he looked at the floor for a moment, deep in thought. I was about to ask if he was okay, but he looked back up at me and smiled.
“So is that a yes?”
“It’s a maybe.”
“Okay, a maybe verging on yes?”
“It’s a maybe, I’ll think about it.”
He laughed and I saw the spark back in his eyes.
“Fine. I’ll have my lawyers draw up a contract and I’ll give you three days to ‘think about it’.”
They brought out our food and we ate it in silence, mostly due to my mind working overdrive as I tried to reason with myself. Was it really that easy? I just said yes, signed a few papers and entered into a business deal that added several zeros to the end of my name? There had to be a catch, something that made this offer too good to be true.
A man like Jonathan, with looks, charm, and money had women crawling at his feet and when he’d finished with one woman there’d be another one waiting in the wings. Since our first meeting I’d done my research on him, and the question of who was going to ever tame him was on everyone’s lips. So why on earth would it be me? Why would he choose to marry someone as empty as I was when other women could offer and show him more love in a day than I’d ever had in my entire lifetime?