by Sam Crescent
Jeffrey bit back a smile. She was full of bouncing energy, a sweet little pack of anger and pleasure waiting to be opened.
“He wasn’t giving you what you need,” Jeffrey said.
Her jaw dropped. “That’s pretentious.”
“It was obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes.”
“So you decided to bribe him to get him to leave instead of coming up to me to ask if I wanted to play with you? Who does something like that?”
Jeffrey shrugged.
“I did what I thought would create the least conflict. I saw you looking at me from the other side of the room.”
Her lips parted, and a light blush dotted her cheeks.
“Are you for real? One look, accidental, might I add, and you decide to take matters into your own hands.”
Jeffrey chuckled.
“The first one might have been a coincidence, but the second one wasn’t. You’re lying to yourself and to me.”
She snorted. Jeffrey cocked his head waiting for her next comeback. This woman was fiery, full of the kind of energy most men didn’t know how to handle. It was little wonder Adrian had fled. By the end of their “session” she would have probably been very unhappy and his ego would have been wrecked.
“Well,” she finally said. “If you think I’m going to play with you, then you wasted your money.”
Jeffrey cocked his head. She was a bad liar, too. Her mouth spoke words that didn’t reflect in her gaze or in her body. If she really wanted him to leave, she would have already walked out or contacted a club monitor to get him out of her hair. Yet, here they stood bantering.
“Don’t you want to give it a try?” he asked. “You came here for a reason.”
“With a pompous ass? No thanks.”
“You’d prefer a guy in jeans and a worn duffel bag? I’m sure I can find those elements if they’re more to your tastes.”
“Go to hell.”
“Already been. Didn’t like it.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not even going to bother arguing with you. You’re too much.”
“Thanks, though most women say such a thing after a session, not before.”
Her choked laughter made him grin. Giving him one final glance, she turned and began to make her way to the cloakroom.
Too late, firecracker. You’re too interested for me to quit.
“Was this your first time?” Jeffrey asked, following her through the club.
“Guess you’ll never find out.”
“Considering how badly you were shaking I would say it was. You deserve better for a first taste at BDSM. Someone who can assuage your fears while increasing your arousal.”
“BDSM isn’t about sex,” she snapped.
“Ah, so then you’re searching for pain.”
She shook her head.
“A rush of endorphins,” he guessed. “The place in which you no longer differentiate between pleasure and pain.”
Ignoring him, she asked the coat clerk for her belongings. Slinging her purse on her shoulder, she stomped past him. Jeffrey hurried to open the main door. She didn’t acknowledge him.
“It’s rude not to say thank you when someone opens the door for you.”
“It’s also rude to butt into other people’s stuff.”
“As far as I can see you’re not stuff. You look like a speaking, breathing, hot package of a human being.”
She turned to face him then, shock written all over her face.
“You just don’t quit, do you?”
“Never. I always get what I want.”
She walked back to him, her heels clicking on the gravel and fueling his desire. He’d do her with those boots on, he decided.
“Let me break it to you slowly, handsome.” She placed her hand on his chest, the contact burning through his shirt. “You’re getting nothing from me tonight.”
Jeffrey glanced down at her. If he leaned down, he could kiss her, but this playful banter was too much fun to have it end here.
“Tonight? Then there’s a possibility of another night.”
Her eyes widened, and the corner of her lips quirked.
“Good luck.”
With a wave of her hand, she made her way away from him and to her car. Jeffrey laughed. It wasn’t a no. He watched her climb onto her vehicle and drive away. The promise of a challenge sang in his veins. He didn’t need luck. He had all he needed in life: good looks, friends, and tons of money.
Chapter Two
“Hey, guys!” Amalia waved at Neve and Andrea, two of her trainees. “We’re just waiting for Simon and then we can start.”
“Great,” Neve said, joining her friends.
Amalia checked her watch. She’d give Simon another five minutes, tops. She mentally checked her backpack. She had water, a snack, a towel, and a first aid kit in case something happened and someone fell and scraped a knee, but she doubted it. This bunch was her advanced group, and this wasn’t the first time they’d met up at Clay Mansion to work on their moves.
Technically, they shouldn’t be here, but this was her favorite place off the grid to practice parkour. The Clay house had been abandoned for at least five years. In all that time, she would have expected the city council to do something about it. Either seize the property, renovate it, or demolish the building and make it into something else, yet, here it stood. The gardens were in disrepair, the fountains empty, the footpaths cracked. The stone mansion in the distance didn’t seem too bad, but who knew the state of the interior. She’d never been inside, nor did she have any interest in visiting. They would be practicing parkour and free-running near the empty pools and fountains where there was plenty of space for them to work on new moves unperturbed.
Amalia looked at the time.
“All right,” she said, clapping her hands.
She froze mid-gesture, the sound of a motorcycle snapping her focus. Spinning around, she watched a Harley Davidson close the distance between them. The driver parked next to her car and switched off the engine. Amalia frowned. Who was this guy, and what did he want? From what she recalled, Simon did not drive a bike but a secondhand Ford.
The stranger removed his helmet and turned to face the group. Their gazes locked, and his lips twisted into a smile. Amalia’s jaw dropped. It couldn’t be. Unless her eyes were betraying her, it was the same guy from the club the other night. The one who’d rescued her from Adrian. The same man who had made her hormones dance the conga with one seductive look. The guy she’d been fantasizing about since last week. What was he doing here? It had to be a coincidence. She did recall him saying he always got what he wanted, but no sane person would go to the trouble to hunt a stranger down, would they?
Suddenly, one of her students squealed. Rene, a cute brunette who’d started with them a few weeks ago, skipped past her, and into the stranger’s arms. Amalia let out a breath she hadn’t been aware of holding. Coincidence. A seedling of envy bit her chest, and she frowned. He definitely moved fast.
“You made it,” Rene cried.
The man gave the young woman a surprisingly brief hug, then, proceeded to ignore her, turning his attention back to Amalia. His gaze raked over her, and his eyes smoldered.
Amalia’s pulse kicked up a notch. Annoyance, because he shouldn’t be here, mingled with pleasure at seeing him and knowing he had already noticed her.
“Yes. I got lost,” he explained. “I hope I made it in time, though. Are you the teacher?” He offered Amalia his hand to shake as if they’d never seen each other before. She slipped her palm into his. A current of warmth traveled across her spine and landed between her legs. Thank goodness he hadn’t touched her last Saturday or she’d have ended up in a puddle on the floor.
“I’m Amalia,” she said, hoping her tone didn’t betray her feelings. “And you are?”
“Jeffrey. Nice to meet you. Rene told me about the class when I stopped by the gym the other day. She said I could join today’s event. I hope it’s okay.”
“Jef
frey wanted to sign up to one of your gym classes, but since they were all full, I told him to join us here instead,” Rene supplied.
Amalia blinked. He had been at her gym? Alarm bells rang in her head. All right, so maybe it wasn’t a coincidence. It had to be, though. He had no way of finding her. He didn’t know her name from the club or any personal details. Amalia took in a shaky breath. She was letting her imagination get the best of her.
“Well, you should have probably asked me before,” Amalia said to Rene, unable to keep the irritation from her tone. “But since you’re here you might as well stay, Jeffrey.”
“Thank you,” Jeffrey said, giving her one of his dazzling smiles. Her clit pulsed in need. Damn it. How was she supposed to work like this? She shook her head.
“Don’t thank me yet. Do you think you’ll be able to climb this wall?”
Jeffrey’s smile disappeared.
“We’re going into the Clay Mansion?” he asked.
“Yes. Why else would we be here? It’s been abandoned for years, and it’s a great place to practice.”
“I thought you’d need more equipment.”
“Parkour works through natural movement. We use what we have at our disposal. This place allows us to practice without bothering anyone or being bothered.”
“I’m not sure the owners would agree. It’s a private property.”
Amalia crossed her arms.
“Listen, if you don’t want to be here, that’s fine. I imagine the gym told you they’d call you when there were vacancies. This is something extra I like to do with my advanced students on Saturday mornings.” She made sure to emphasize the fact the people there weren’t newbies. “It’s free and fun. I don’t want arguments. If you don’t agree, you are free to go.”
Jeffrey clenched his jaw, the nerve there ticking visibly. Amalia waited. Was he really going to just leave because he didn’t want to enter an abandoned property?
“I apologize. I’d like to stay,” he finally said.
“Great,” Amalia said, clapping her hands.
“But wait a minute,” Rene jumped in, hands on her hips. “I thought you said you’d practiced parkour a few years ago, in college. It’s why I asked you to come. If you—”
“I’m just a little rusty.” Jeffrey cleared his throat and rubbed his neck, clearly embarrassed. Amalia swallowed her laughter and placed a hand on his arm. She ignored the sizzling spark beneath her fingertips.
“All right. No worries, we’ll find another way inside, and you can start slowly, Jeffrey. Neve, you know the routine best, so I’m making you in charge. Start with some stretches and rolls. We’ll meet you at the fountains.”
“What about Simon?” someone asked.
“I just got a text from him,” Peter said. “He has to finish some university project so he won’t be coming today.”
“All right. Then go. We don’t have all day.”
Neve clapped her hands and had everyone around her stretching before making the jump into the property. Amalia turned to Jeffrey.
“If you can’t climb the wall because you’re, um, rusty.” She grinned. Jeffrey’s eyes narrowed. “We’ll need to find another way to get you inside.” She began walking away from the group, bordering the pink stoned wall. Jeffrey joined her.
“You seem to find this amusing,” he said, when they were out of earshot.
“Why wouldn’t I? I remember who you are, and last time I saw you, you were trying to impress me.”
“Just because I can’t jump a wall, doesn’t mean I couldn’t flip you over right now and spank your ass red.”
“Is that a threat?” She glanced at him, biting her bottom lip in a playful manner. Jeffrey’s gaze darkened. She knew she was playing with fire, but now that she was alone with him, her body had gone into hormonal overdrive, throwing all caution to the wind. Desire pulsed through her veins in fast bursts. Memories of her fantasies resurfaced. What would it have been like to say yes the other night?
“Only if you want it to be,” Jeffrey said.
She balked. Amalia wanted a spanking, but she was also enjoying this little game too much to give into Jeffrey so easily. Besides, Jeffrey screamed rich guy who always got what they wanted, and a little teasing never hurt anyone.
“No, thank you,” she lied. “Also, I’m not sure if the fact you’re here is a coincidence or you’re a stalker.”
Jeffrey chuckled. “I just happened to meet Rene last week, and she suggested I come today. Fate is clearly giving us a signal.”
Amalia laughed. “I don’t believe in fate, specially, since you didn’t want to back down the other night.”
“For someone who says she wants nothing to do with me, you sure seem to remember details of our last encounter.”
“I have a good memory,” Amalia replied.
“Aha. And your playful lip game?”
“Your imagination.”
Jeffrey laughed, the deep, rolling sound feeding the flames sparking on her flesh by his masculine presence.
“My offer still stands,” Jeffrey said. “One night. A proper introduction to BDSM. We can both act freely on this crazy chemistry between us.”
“You don’t give up, do you?”
“Never. It’s why I always get what I want.”
Amalia stifled a smile. If there was one thing she liked about a man, it was confidence, but Jeffrey was sure of himself almost to a fault.
“Look, the wall is broken over here. You can step on the stones and climb through,” Amalia said, sprinting toward the rubble and purposely ignoring him.
Jeffrey grabbed her arm.
“One night, Amalia. Unbridled passion. Pain, pleasure, a high of endorphins you’ll never forget.”
“Forget it,” she said.
“Why? I can understand your rejection from the other night. I was a jerk. But why are you saying no today when there’s clearly a connection between us?”
Amalia smirked.
“There is.” She shrugged. “But someone, sometime in your life has to say no to you.”
Chapter Three
Jeffrey stared at Amalia. Had she really just rejected him again? For the fun of it? He couldn’t have heard her right.
He understood why she’d said no at the club. It’d been a dick move on his part to bribe the guy she’d intended to scene with so he’d leave. He got it. But today? What had he done wrong?
Did she even know who he was? How much money he had? None of the women he’d dated had ever played this cat-and-mouse game. They were all too concerned with flattering him and becoming Mrs. Clay. They always looked and acted perfectly, desperate to get him to like them. Amalia was nothing like them. She was spirited, unafraid to contradict him and reject him. It was invigorating to say the least.
Not to mention, she was into him and not his bank account. He didn’t need her to spell it out for him to know she liked him. It was obvious in her body language. Firm eye contact, flirty touches, and the fact she didn’t shy away from him were proof. Then there was the banter, mingled with innuendos. They had chemistry and they were both enjoying it, but it was time to find out what was really holding her back.
“Are you telling me you’re saying no to me just for the sake of it?”
Her lips curled into a smile full of mischief. Fuck it. She was toying with him. There was no true reason for her refusal, other than to have him at her command. Common sense told him he should be annoyed about it, and simply cut his losses and move on, but he couldn’t. She was too alluring, and her little game appealed to him. Amalia leaned against the broken wall, spreading her arms to either side, enticing him with her perfect curves and flirtatiousness. Two steps and he could take possession of her space and kiss her senseless. Get this nonsense over with once and for all. Give his dick a break and make the tingling on his palms vanish by giving her the spanking she deserved. He refrained, however, waiting for her to give him an answer.
“Interpret it as you will, Jeffrey, the answer is still no,”
she said at length.
“How can I change your mind?”
“You’d have to arrest and threaten me, put me between a rock and hard place,” she replied, dipping her gaze to his erection. Jeffrey smirked. Naughty firecracker. Didn’t she know he’d take her word for it? If she wanted to play this game, he would, but he was going to win at all costs.
“So be it.”
She laughed. “What are you going to do? Call the cops and tell them I won’t have sex with you?”
Jeffrey smirked. “Not a bad idea, but I don’t think the local police would appreciate it.”
Amalia pushed herself away from the wall.
“Shame. Then, I guess, your answer is still no.” She patted him on the back. “But, don’t worry. You’re a big boy, and you’ll survive.”
Jeffrey chortled.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. I told you the other night, I always get my yes.”
Amalia jumped over the wall and turned to look at him.
“Good luck.”
Chapter Four
Amalia climbed the wall, using the steel railing as a handhold to hoist herself over it. She landed with a light thud, bending her knees lightly so as not to injure them, and set off in a light jog.
It was early and the crisp air invigorated her, so she picked up the pace. Her purpose to be here loomed up ahead. Tossing her backpack aside, she skipped over a set of steps, then sprinted across a walkway and jumped into an empty fountain pool with a carved stone wall. She bounded across another one, then flipped to the center and climbed the statue. Adrenaline coursed through her and she tried to focus on her workout, but every few minutes she’d glance around her, hoping to see him. Jeffrey. Which, she knew, was ridiculous, since he’d joined her group in the first place because Rene had told him when they met.
Now, it was Friday morning, a holiday, and he had no way of knowing she was here. Unfortunately, though, she couldn’t get him out of her mind. Throughout the week, she’d caught herself fantasizing with him more than once. If she wasn’t dreaming about him thrusting between her legs, then she was picturing his intense blue eyes, and his devilish laughter.