Lucky Seven
Page 26
“Put your dress on.” Juan poured them all a drink then sat on the sofa in the bedroom.
Tasha disappeared into the walk-in wardrobe to dress. For the first time she walked all around it and realised at the far end there was actually a frosted window that gave natural light to a dressing area with mirrors and a dressing table, similar to an old fashioned movie star’s dressing room. She slipped off the robe she was wearing to reveal the black, satin, smooth underwear of a full up-lift bra and a black, lace back Brazilian brief that allowed the rosy pink hue of her behind to shine through. She smiled at the thought of how it had been gained. She was no longer irrationally concerned by Amanda, but was still worried someone could still come along and steal her man, and that is how she thought of him, as hers. Her concerns remained about Jim maintaining the effort required to succeed in a long distance relationship.
He had been quite angry when they’d first come upstairs, but as he gave out his own form of punishment he’d calmed down and she’d found it most exciting to be under his control again, and was relieved he’d allowed her to come with him, eventually. She decided the uncertainty of it all just added to the excitement for her. In fact, the uncertainty of it grounded her somehow because she trusted him to only ever take care of her.
She held her dress up and thought it was indeed very small and as she resembled some kind of glamour model, she really did wonder whether Jim would be okay with this night out. She pulled the red, sleeveless, stocking tight dress over her head and as it covered her thighs, just, she checked out its appearance from the back and took a sharp intake of breath at the amount of back on display courtesy of the keyhole cut out. It really was very tight and as she slipped on her favourite black stilettos she thought it was even shorter than she’d remembered.
“Come on,” called Philip. “Show us how hot you look.”
“Quickly or Philip will be drunk before we get out of the house,” laughed Juan.
She cautiously emerged from the wardrobe to gasps from them both.
“Is it alright?” Tasha asked nervously.
“Damn, girlfriend,” squealed Philip, staring at her.
“You look amazing. Philip, it’s over I am going to London with Tasha.” Juan laughed and circled her.
She giggled at Philip who still stared at her, but Juan was now behind her and beginning to rotate her hips with his in a dance move that made her laugh out loud with the boys until they all noticed Jim standing in the doorway. Juan immediately released her.
Philip gestured towards her with a grin as if he had just revealed a piece of art work. “Ta-da!”
“Can you give us a moment?” Jim asked, not taking his eyes off her.
She suddenly felt very nervous. She was certain he wouldn’t like the overall result and as his face remained unreadable she still felt wary of Juan and Philip leaving them alone.
Philip grabbed the bottle of beer off the table and exited first, followed by Juan who almost ran. Tasha smiled at them both and felt rather sorry for them, especially Philip because he was responsible for the face and hair Jim was still staring at, although Juan had been touching what was Jim’s.
Once alone, he closed the door and walked slowly towards her where he looked her up and down before checking out her appearance from behind in the mirror, but didn’t touch her. She swallowed hard as she realised he still hadn’t said anything to her.
“It is a very little dress and there is a lot of skin on show, Tasha,” he finally said.
“Do you hate it?”
“No. It looks great, you look great, but it’s very little.”
She risked a smile now. “I thought you’d hate the dress and the make-up and forbid me from leaving the house.”
“I considered it.” His face broke into a wry smile. “But then I remembered, I have my dad’s accounts to look over.”
“You be sure to get your priorities right.”
“I always do, honey. Although I am thinking the accounts could wait and I could send the boys away. Then...” he stroked her cheek and dropped his hand to skim down her arm sending shivers through her body.
“Then?” she asked, almost panting with anticipation for what he was going to suggest.
“And then we could finish what we started in New York.” He stared down at her causing a flush to creep up her cheeks at the intensity of his gaze.
She frowned, trying to remember what they’d started in New York. He grinned at her confusion and stepped closer. He grasped her wrists, lifted her arms above her head and pulled them apart in the air still smiling down at her. He then moved one foot between hers and pushed her feet apart.
“And then,” he whispered. “I could do this to you on the bed and tie you in place and have you completely under my control. To do with as I please. To pleasure you in any way I want. I could make for a good night in, baby.” He let her go and took a step back leaving her hot, breathless and wanton.
“I could cancel.”
“No, baby. The boys would be disappointed and I said I’d do the accounts for the vineyard, so another time, maybe.” He walked towards the door with a cocky swagger.
“When?” she called after him which resulted in him looking back with his wolfish grin that turned into a loud laugh.
“Maybe we could save it for Vegas.”
She was ready to burst with anticipation and desire and was seriously considering Vegas as a real option. What the hell was she doing? How did he do this to her? Was this because she loved him or because he was very good at this, at sex?
He laughed at her again. “Oh, baby, you are that desperate for it?” he asked rhetorically but left the room.
Tasha gathered her thoughts and composure before following him downstairs where she found Jim in the hall listing his orders for the night. “All of you be careful, don’t leave your drink unattended, don’t accept drinks from anyone else, don’t go anywhere on your own and don’t drink too much. Do not leave Tasha on her own and if anyone makes a move on her I expect you both to take care of her, understand?”
She stood on the stairs watching and listening as they both nodded at him.
“Good. Any problems, call me and if you can’t find a taxi to come back, call.”
They nodded again as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet.
“Dad, please tell me you’re not about to give out condoms,” said Philip smiling.
Jim stared at him. “Hardly,” was his only comment before he pulled out several notes and passed them to Juan.
“I think you’re likely to be the most sober and sensible tonight so take this for the taxi, or whatever.”
“You don’t have to do this, Jim.” Juan tried to return the money to Jim.
He waved a dismissive hand. “I know, but I want you to all get back safely, so please, take it.”
Juan obliged as Tasha coughed behind them.
“Right, let’s go before Dad insists on dropping us off for our play-date,” said Philip sarcastically.
Tasha laughed as she reached the bottom of the stairs and the boys went through the front door. She stretched up slightly to kiss Jim gently on the lips.
“Be good and don’t forget to be careful.” He stroked her thigh.
“I will. I promise.”
“You do have underwear on don’t you?” His question was wary.
Tasha laughed. “Of course. I don’t regularly leave the house half dressed.”
“Make that never now, honey, not without me.”
She nodded. “You can check when I get back.”
He threw his head back with a groan. “You haven’t made it out of here yet, baby.”
“Tasha, come on. Put the old man down, the taxi’s here,” cried Philip who was standing in the hall now and with a grab of Tasha’s hand pulled her out of the house.
Jim watched them climbing into the waiting taxi and sighed as he thought how this could be the big downfall of dating a woman almost half his age. She had completely different
interests to him. Interests he was at odds with. Had tonight been with anyone else he knew he would not have allowed it to happen, not for Tasha anyway. What was going to happen when she went home and he wasn’t there to control these things? He felt as confused as she had earlier, but he knew she was the one for him and he was going to do anything he possibly could to make this work. He smiled as he thought of her outburst about Amanda and although she’d maddened him with the way she’d spoken to him, he liked that she was jealous and suspicious of other women and the way she had stood her ground. However, Amanda posed absolutely no threat to Tasha’s position in his life. He should have just left her as a foolish fling, like his mother had told him to. She’d been too dull, too safe for him. Tasha was anything but and with the exception of the wannabe porn star none of his wives would have done what Tasha had done in the kitchen, or on his desk, or anywhere else really, although he remained unsure in retrospect whether number three’s antics had been entirely genuine or if she had simply been honing her craft. Whereas Tasha...he groaned as he felt the familiar stirring in his trousers and decided if he was going to do his dad’s accounts he would work in the living area out back because the desk and his office did nothing to help him focus on work now. He jumped when his phone vibrated in his pocket.
Chapter 21
They entered the club and were swamped by a group of around ten people, both male and female. Philip introduced them all, but Tasha couldn’t quite keep up with all the names and speed of the introductions. Juan escorted her to the bar to get a drink where she attempted to pay, but Juan refused.
“We should probably let Jim get the first one.”
She shook her head seriously.
“You don’t like the cash, do you?”
“Dislike might not be the right word, but it makes me uncomfortable. That amount of cash with no appreciation of its value feels odd to me.”
Juan nodded. “I know what you mean, but Philip and Lizzie don’t have a clue.”
Philip joined them with a few others and seemed to prove the point both Tasha and Juan had been making. “Juan get everyone a drink, the old man is paying.”
Tasha, with a drink in hand made her way to the group of Philip’s friends where one of them, with a warm smile, introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Alex. I work with Philip.”
“Nice to meet you. Tasha,” she said, unsure how to describe herself but extended a hand.
“Philip said you’re his dad’s girlfriend. You’re not what I expected.”
She smiled a little awkwardly and pulled back the hand Alex still held. “I’m not sure what to say to that.”
“Sorry,” said Alex looking embarrassed. “Would you like to dance?”
Tasha nodded. Dancing rather than talking would be far less awkward for them both. She was already following Alex to the dance floor where they were eventually joined by Juan who seemed concerned for Tasha and suspicious of Alex, but Tasha reasoned he’d done nothing to give cause for suspicion.
They’d all been dancing to the very loud music and after several drinks Tasha found herself getting lost in the music and remained oblivious to Alex getting closer and closer and it wasn’t until she felt his hands on her that she realised just how close he was. Philip, who was supposed to be looking after her while Juan visited the bathroom had moved onto shots at the bar with a few of the others.
With his touching of her becoming more persistent she tried to release herself from Alex’s relentless pawing so offered him a gentle reminder. “I have a boyfriend. I’m really not interested, please let me go.”
“I don’t care about your boyfriend. I have one too, and a girlfriend.”
Tasha stared, open mouthed, missing Alex pushing his hands up her dress where he somehow pinched her thigh.
“Piss off!” she screamed at him and managed to pull herself free as she pushed him away, then headed to the bathroom.
She sat in a cubicle and gathered her thoughts. What a dick Alex was; a boyfriend, a girlfriend and still he’d had a crack at her. How bloody dare he? He knew she had a boyfriend who was Philip’s dad which showed a lack of respect for her and Philip, never mind Jim himself. She had done nothing to encourage his advances, had she? She’d changed her drink to water because she really did want to stay sober and all she’d done was dance. She had followed all of Jim’s rules and yet another man viewed her as easy and available for his use. She stood up and straightened her dress and decided she’d overreacted, not in her rebuttal of Alex, but in her reaction afterwards. Alex had fancied her, she hadn’t realised so they’d danced and talked. He’d tried it on and she had said no, well piss off actually, but it was done now. No harm done, although he’d hurt her thigh, but Jim would never know and she would just keep her distance from Alex for the rest of the night, problem solved.
She checked her phone where there was just one message from Jim.
She considered replying, but decided against it. She went back out into the club and as she looked around Alex appeared again and tried to pull her back towards the dance floor.
“No. I’ll sit this one out I think.” She spoke with a flatness to her voice and hoped it would have the desired effect. It didn’t.
Alex wasn’t ready to take no for an answer just yet. As she went to walk away he grabbed at her and pulled the shoulder of her dress. She heard the fabric rip and realised he might prove more persistent than she’d first thought, dangerous even, so was very pleased to see Juan appear at her side.
“Are you okay?”
“I think so. He’s a bit drunk and appears to have torn my dress.” She was panicking slightly because apart from anything else Jim would see her torn dress and want to know exactly how it had ended up that way.
“Alex, leave her alone or I will tell Donny, you fucking idiot.” Juan did nothing to hide his anger at the other man.
The other man smirked, but put his hands up as if to surrender with a muttered and very insincere sounding, “Sorry.”
“Where is Philip? I went to the bathroom and left him to watch you. Jim is going to flip when he sees your dress.” Juan sounded worried and whilst his concerned eyes were solely focused on Tasha, she didn’t doubt his demeanour was for the fallout from Jim.
“He went to do shots at the bar, but I don’t need watching.”
Juan frowned at her protest. “Your dress says differently and so will Jim. Come on, let’s go home.”
She shook her head at the suggestion. “It’s early still, but I could do with doing something with this.” Tasha held up the two pieces of torn fabric that used to be the shoulder of her dress.
“Come here, let me help,” said Juan. “Maybe we could tie it or wrap it around your bra, do you mind?” he asked before touching her or the dress.