Chapter Eight
There was silence for the next 10-minutes and then they got dressed with each of them ready to do it again. The undergarment had been destroyed leaving her with the only recourse of putting the dress against her naked skin.
“It feels very daring to stand in front of you like this with nothing underneath. I’m no stranger to walking around in my birthday suit. Sleeping in the nude is the only way that I can get a good night’s sleep.” Claire tried to solve this man, but he was an enigma wrapped up in a paradox. He wasn’t the same as all the others. This time she didn’t have this desperate need to gnaw off her arm after the deed was done.
“This is the first time that I’ve seen you vulnerable. You’re always full of confidence. It’s a breath of fresh air to see you with a noticeable flaw. Nobody’s perfect and to pretend otherwise only makes you look like a fool.” He had seen his fair share of fakers. There were those wanting to get close to the power and fortune that he wielded with distinction.
“I take it that you have some personal experience with putting on a front,” Claire said. “You never did tell me what happened with your big deal. I can only assume everything went according to plan.” She didn’t need to know the details, but curiosity had a way of tapping her on the shoulder when she least expected it.
“There are still some fine details to work out. It’s not one of my finer moments and getting into bed with them is only asking for trouble. The press would use this information to garner viewers on the news.” His shirt was still unbuttoned and he felt his heart racing a million miles an hour. This was not his first time having a quickie, but he never felt like he was running on empty afterward.
“I know from observing that you usually get what you want. You have learned to be patient. It’s a good trait and not many can claim to have it.” She watched him closely and the money he was going to produce was going to make her knees knock. That amount of cash staring her in the face was able to bring about a raging case of hormones.
There was no better aphrodisiac for her than playing fast and loose with other people’s cash. The long con was the hardest. It took an amazing amount of self-control to cut off any possibility of feelings jeopardizing everything. They had only known each other for a short time and it was enough to give her thoughts of white picket fences.
“I believe we came here for a reason and I do hope that you didn’t lure me here for sex. I might be easy, but I’m not cheap. Then again, I’m the one that’s paying you an exorbitant amount of cash. This is the kind of money that can make a career. The percentage of your take is still a sizable fortune in most people’s eyes.” He magically produced a very expensive looking pen in his possession. It was passed down from his father who had given him his first taste of power. There was no going back after that.
“I don’t know how it’s possible, but talking about this acquisition has gotten us both in the mood. Fucking like that is enough for any woman, but I believe myself to be a rare breed,” she said. “I need it more and it gets hard to breathe when I find some wild animal able to keep up with me.” She ran her fingernail down his chest while reaching into her purse with the other one.
“As a bonus, I will gladly allow you to tie me up to the bedpost upstairs. I will essentially be your prisoner and a sexual slave to your desires. This place will be mine when I sign my John Hancock to the documents.” He was close to having his boyhood fantasy come true. The price was inconsequential and he never thought in his lifetime this property would be available.
“I don’t know if you really understand what you’re saying to me. It’s a broad stroke when you think about it. I could show mercy, or I could take all of my frustrations out on you for all those boyfriends that made me into the hardened bitch I am today.” She thought about the possibilities about how easily she could leave him with enough marks and bruises on his body to last a lifetime.
The cat of nine tails was in her purse. There weren’t many occasions where she had a chance to use it. A woman of questionable morals came to mind. She was weak one night on the road and didn’t want to turn to Nicholas to give him the wrong idea. This was a different kind of sexual perversion and one that she had not shared with anyone.
“I trust you. Being burned too many times can make you jaded. I’ve always believed love was meant for those who deluded themselves into thinking that they could have something special with the same person every day and night for the rest of their lives.” He recognized the shade of gray in his personality and it was a dark time in his history when he found himself falling for the wrong woman.
“I would cry a lot, but I will never shed a tear for any man again. I have the same mentality when it comes to relationships. It’s the reason why I think this won’t work between us.” She was trying to take the band aid off quickly, but she inadvertently started a chain reaction.
He grabbed her wrists and pinned them over her head in a vulnerable position. Touching her with the tip of his tongue was just the start of her downward spiral into those feeling she never thought she would ever have.
“I never want to see any woman cry, unless the orgasm I give them is so intense they have no choice. But, that doesn’t happen too often.” He heard the rustling of the papers in her hands and they weren’t exactly going to be in pristine condition.
She ducked out from underneath him, finding a way to unclench his fist from around her wrists. It was quite easy. She knew the trick of not struggling and pulling straight down.
Running from disgruntled older men had become commonplace for her. They sometimes sent an emissary or more precisely muscle to make her pay for her misdeeds. A black eye or bruised ribs were something she would heal from. It could’ve been worse.
Claire never carried a gun, but it didn’t mean she was defenseless. She had the ability to use her environment making anything a weapon. Taking classes gave her the power to take the fight to anyone. They would underestimate her.
“You should really have your people go over the documents with a fine tooth comb. Trusting someone shouldn’t come easy when the world is full of people who want what you have.” She couldn’t believe she was saying these words and there was this feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“I don’t normally trust anyone unconditionally and not even my wife knows me the way you do. She only sees what I want her to see. I can lower my guard and be more myself with you. Tell me what brought on this change of heart.” Eric was watching her closely and this time the blinders were coming off. His heart had the ability to lead him astray, but his instincts were honed to a razor’s edge.
Claire was pacing and trying to come up with a reasonable explanation for stopping this transaction before the money exchanged hands. Nicholas would be livid. He would believe she had lost a step and he probably would be right.
“I’ve got to know you over these last couple of days and I don’t want you to regret your decision. You’re making a mistake by letting your emotions dictate what you’re going to do. There hasn’t been an offer on this place in quite some time. The owners are very stubborn and are looking for a specific number to let this property out of their hands.” Claire felt like a fool with her hands clammy and her heart making the mistake of getting personal.
“I’ve never been more serious in my life. This place has always been on the back of my mind,” he said. “It's the one place which helped me to figure out where I was going to go in life. The constant badgering by my father was muted when I was lying in the sand dreamily looking at the stars.” He saw she was fidgeting and trying not to make eye contact. These were always good indicators of someone not being completely honest.
“That’s precisely the reason why you should take some time to think about it. You haven’t even considered doing an in-depth inspection of the property. I would be remiss as your real estate agent if I didn’t stress the importance of an examination of the property.” It sounded plausible in her head, but Claire was making the cardinal mistake of backpedaling like her life depended on it.
She recognized the look of suspicion in his eye and she had to downplay the importance of taking the necessary time to assess the situation with an unbiased eye.
“I don’t know where this is coming from. Wait…are you worried that once this is finished we will never see each other again? I can assure you, wild horses couldn’t keep me away from you. My main concern is if you can accept that my wife is going to be in the picture for the conceivable future.” He wasn’t in love with his wife, but he thought after some time they would begin to show some sort of affection.
“In some small way, I’m worried that I’m going to hurt you by making you choose between her and I. You say that you’re not in love with her, but I wonder the reason why you are together in the first place.” She was learning from her mistakes and turning the subject around to include something dear to his heart was the easiest way to deflect.
“I know I mentioned this already, but the reason for us to get together was that our family’s deemed it so. We are stronger together than we are apart. I don’t even remember the last time we shared a bed together. We have separate rooms down the hall. I’ve taken other women to my room and she has been with other men with my blessing.” He was telling tales out of school and felt it was important for Claire to know all the facts before moving forward.
“I want to believe you, but will I get the same story if I were to confront your wife face to face?” She was never concerned about how her actions could be perceived by others.
This was the first time she had a hard time figuring things out without the money making her see those she had crossed as just another victim. Life was hard and she was there when somebody was picking up the pieces. Selfishly, she was only interested in those that could benefit her in some way.
“I swear on my grandmother’s grave, everything I’ve said to you is the god honest truth. I don’t mind postponing the sale to show you how I feel about you,” Eric said. “I don’t think that I could live with the knowledge I hurt you in any way. Since this is very personal to me, I want to make it abundantly clear that I have first right to sign on the dotted line. I hope this isn’t a ploy to get more money or have another buyer on the side ready to swoop in at the last second.” He was still dealing with the merger with the adult movie company.
“I hate to put you into any position where you don’t feel comfortable. It goes without saying this property is yours when you’re ready to finalize,” Claire said. “Take your time and you never know what you might be finding underneath where you can’t see. Sometimes you need to look past an emotional attachment.” She was going to have to appease Nicholas and the best way to accomplish that was to give him hope for more money.
Nicholas was all about the dollar signs in his eyes and the greed was written on his face with bold indelible ink.
“Giving it some thought, I believe that slowing things down before I hand over a fairly large sum of money is a good idea. Any reason to see your beautiful face and have your body wrapped around my waist is only going to put a smile on my face.” He wasn’t just piling it on. He wanted her to see how being with her had changed him.
“We might have rushed into this in more ways than one. Standing here in front of you makes me want to rip off your shirt with my teeth,” Claire said. “I know that’s not ladylike or shows me in any professional standing. I couldn’t care less as long as I get my hands on you. I want to conduct an experiment.” She could see the perplexed look on his face and was waiting for the inevitable question to be posed.
“I don’t think I’m going to regret asking this, but what kind of experiment do you have in mind?” He was willing to do anything. The idea of blindfolding him and letting her have her way with him was definitely going outside his comfort zone.
“We know this place makes us hungry for each other and I would like to find out if we can duplicate those feelings someplace else. I’m sure you have a hotel that you have used in the past when you wanted to get down and dirty with someone. I’m no one to judge and what I’m expecting from you is some transparency.” She was still lying and it was getting easier with each one told.
“I have no problem making some reservations on our behalf. There’s no reason to tell you something to make you feel better. Being with other women was my way of feeling something. Looking for my princess was like finding a needle in a haystack.” He remembered the frank conversation he had with his wife about fleeting moments of pleasure.
She tried to be supportive, but he could tell sleeping with another man was the only thing getting her up in the morning. They were all about discretion and the hotel they frequented catered to those who needed their privacy to be of the utmost importance. There was no threat of blackmail and each room was constantly checked for listening devices and any kind of surveillance. The windows were tinted and made those with prying eyes unable to see what they were doing behind closed doors.
“I can be very amenable and not very many things shock me. Take what I have said here today with a grain of salt. At your peril, bring me something to the table that you could never voice in public or to your wife. The blindfold is a great way to start, but I doubt that your fantasy ends there.” She was feeling this anxious energy in the air and was looking forward to seeing him cast aside any misconceptions when he thought about what was normal.
They embraced and kissed with wild passion until they finally separated with longing stares of desire.