“Mr. Arkaine, lovely purchase you made tonight…”

I was on him, my face an inch from his. I had the pleasure of looking down. Big as he was, I had three inches on him… and wasn’t turning soft around the middle. I slapped him, hard. A stinging blow that left his cheek red and burning. The bastard wasn’t man enough for a punch.

“You will never speak to a woman like that again, Cole, not in my presence. And you will leave Eden the fuck alone. She’s mine.”

“You may have blocked the Trenton deal, for now, but that’s fucking business.” I kept my words quiet as he put his hand to his face, his eyes furious. “But it’s not business here. And you’ll stay the fuck away from us both.”

I headed back to Grace, leaving Cole behind like the limp little prick that he was. I’d had more than enough of that fucking asshole and I wasn’t about to waste another second of my time on him here. That he’d been systematically blocking my development company from demolishing Rance Street was an issue that would have to wait. But seeing him here had triggered something else in me. Feelings… memories. Ones I wanted to destroy right along with the street I’d grown up on.

“Are you alright?” I asked, as I opened the thick wooden door to the Citadel. Grace was sitting on the sofa, her knees up under her chin, the thin robe wrapped around them. She nodded, and I picked up a throw from the back of a chair and wrapped it around her.

“I heard what he said. And he won’t bother you again,” I said, taking her hand in mine. “He’s a useless fuck, but he won’t dare cross me. At least not here.”

“You know him, away from this place, I mean?” Grace asked, biting her lip. She had a tendency to do that, and I found it… distracting.

“He holds office in my home state,” I answered slowly. “And heads up a policy committee. We’ve been at odds for a while now, over a neighborhood my company has interests in.” I shifted and looked away. “He’s got a reputation for treating people badly. Especially women.” I stood up and looked down at Grace. She was nervous. Even more nervous than she’d been at the auction. I lifted her to her feet and tilted her chin up to me.

“I won’t leave you alone again, Grace. You won’t leave this room without me from now on.”

I held her chin, watching her green eyes. They were beautiful. She was beautiful. The color was coming back to her pale cheeks, but I could see there was still something wrong. Something was very wrong.

I sat, pulling her down onto my lap. I was hard, and shifted so that my cock wasn’t right under her perfect ass. “What is it, Grace. I can see it in your eyes. Was there more between you than what I saw?” I bristled at the thought.

“He was rude, is all,” she began. “But I know who he is…” She shifted and so did I. “I don’t know if he recognized me, too. But I remembered where I’ve seen him. It’s… well, it’s… complicated.” She looked away.

“And you’d rather not talk about it?”

She shook her head. I dropped a kiss on her mouth and felt her bottom lip, slightly swollen against mine. “Just know, you won’t see him again, not while we’re here together. Put it out of your mind, Grace.”

I rubbed her back as I spoke, and felt her relax in my hands. I slipped the fabric aside, baring her back. The skin was perfect, unmarked. I ran my fingers across, feeling the silken texture. Then I pushed her hair up and put my mouth to the back of her neck. I felt her shudder and catch her breath.

“Come with me.” I put her on her feet and took her hand. “I have one more lesson for you tonight.”

* * *

I took her to my favorite room in the Citadel. It was just off the bedroom, and equipped for every imaginable kind of sexual need. There were chains attached to the walls and hanging from the ceiling. A long, narrow table held everything from whips to vibrators. There was even a table that resembled a medieval torture device used for spreading limbs apart. But those weren’t the reasons I used this room. It was the sunken pool that I liked. And the surprisingly gentle lighting.

I led her inside and watched her eyes widen and her mouth drop open. Her lip was full, slack. I had a sudden urge to take it in between my own teeth…

“It’s okay,” I soothed, closing the door behind us. “Although it can be used for many things, for me… for us, this room is not about pain. At least, not in the way you think.”

The room was already warm, as I’d asked. The water in the pool even warmer. I took the blanket and robe from her shoulders. “Look around,” I ordered. “There’s nothing here you can’t explore, that you can’t touch.”

I watched her as she took in the room. She looked from the table of tools and toys, and then back at me. I could see a combination of fear and curiosity in her eyes and I smiled reassuringly. “They’re not necessary,” I said gently. “Unless you want them to be.”

Her expression shifted slightly. I felt like a starving man sitting in front of a gourmet meal. I watched her, trying to sense her feelings. Trying to feel them for myself.

She walked to the steps leading down into the pool and I felt my raging cock throb in response. “Get in,” I ordered, my voice sharper than I’d intended. I leaned back against a padded bench a few feet away. “There’s bath gel on the tray,” I said, gesturing with a nod. “I want to watch you bathe.”

She was awkward, not fully understanding. But she did as I asked. She was self-conscious at first, but the warmth of the water and the familiar movements of bathing were accomplishing what I wanted. She relaxed as she moved, almost seeming to forget my presence. Almost.

She worked silky lather through her hair, her breasts running with the stream of water and suds. They were round and perfect. The movements of her arms lifted them and made them sway. She saw my eyes on her, and squared her shoulders to me, letting me see her fully. She was standing in the hip deep water. A little wave left a white froth of lather behind on her pussy. My cock was painful. Raging hard…

I stepped toward her and squeezed some soap into my hands. I knelt at the side of the pool. I didn’t want to frighten her by getting in just yet.

I worked my hands together, the lather slippery. “Come here.”

I ran my hands over her breasts, down the velvet of her belly. I watched her nipples go from flat and wide, to tight and hard. She leaned toward me, her breathing getting faster. Her body responded to me so easily.

“I want you to touch yourself, Grace. Like this…” I let my hand trail down and found her clit already starting to harden. Sweet, hot, girl…

I took her nub in my thick fingertips and rolled it gently. The response was incredible. Her head dropped forward and she gasped. She rocked her hips into me and rubbed herself into my hand. This was better than I’d dared to hope for. I caught her hand and pulled it down too, pressing her fingers with mine into her folds. Rubbing together in small, hard circles. I could feel my cock already leaking with need.

“That’s it, sweetheart,” I said against her ear. “I’m going to watch you touch yourself. I want to see what you do.” I pulled back and stood up, looking down at her in the water. Her eyes were enormous, but she didn’t look away. And her hand didn’t stop…

I want you to bring yourself to the edge, Grace. I want you so fucking close to the edge. I want to watch it. I want to see what you feel…”

I took a few steps back and leaned against my bench. She could see my entire length as I watched her and she never looked away.

I unzipped and released my cock. It was huge. Thick and heavy, dripping in anticipation.