by Kendall Ryan
"Y-yes," she stumbles, gazing down at the show I’m giving her.
"I could have hurt you. Made you bleed. We don’t want that, now do we?"
She doesn’t answer. Her blue eyes just blaze back at mine in a silent challenge.
The fuck?
My balls ache with the need to be inside her, but I can’t. I won’t until I’ve settled my past with Stella. The closer I grow to Sophie, the more I understand about her, I don’t want to hurt her. I bought her as a way to have some fun and blow off steam, but somewhere along the way, it’s become something more. Right from that very first morning when Pace looked her over with rapt interest, I became invested. In her. In us.
"The answer is no, Sophie. I don’t want to hurt you." I force the words out of my mouth.
She draws a shuddering breath. "Isn’t a sex slave supposed to, I don’t know, actually have sex with her master?"
The desire to take her is a physical ache, but I force myself to remain composed. "That eager, huh?" I trail a damp fingertip along her lower lip and feel her inhale sharply.
"You bought me, expecting something in return. Call me crazy, but I thought that was how this worked," she challenges.
"Let’s get one thing straight. I don’t want a sex slave. I want a companion. A mistress. Call me conservative, but I don’t like the term slave." I’ve paid Sophie to be here – she’s not held captive against her will.
"A mistress?" she asks, raising an eyebrow at me.
"It suits you. You’re my dirty little secret – a kept woman," I remind her, smoothing a hand along her backside, watching her pulse kick up in her neck. I couldn’t have her questioning my motives. They was too fucked up for even me to think about, let alone admit to her. And since I wasn’t willing to let Stella fuck up yet another thing in my life, I planned to handle her, and then I would make Sophie mine.
"Take off your dress."
She’s still watching me jerk myself, so it takes her a minute to respond – her eyes snapping up to mine and her hands moving to lift the dress off over her head.
She’s wearing the pale blue lace bra I remember from the first night and wordlessly, she unsnaps it and lets it fall to the floor.
I look down at my cock in my hand and then back at her mouth. Sophie gracefully drops to her knees between my feet and eagerly brings her mouth to me.
Fuuck.
The sweet warmth of her mouth as she licks the tip of my dick sends a bolt of pleasure ricocheting through me. I clench my abdominals and thread my fingers in her hair, forcing more of myself in between her lips. With her eyes looking up at mine, she takes me deeper, letting me control the pace as I thrust into her mouth. I push my hips forward in a lazy pace, wanting to draw this out as long as possible. She cups my balls, massaging them and I grunt in surprise when she gives them a little tug. Shit. This girl is good.
"Stroke me," I breathe, and Sophie obeys, wrapping one hand around my base and pumping in time with her bobbing mouth. Her rhythm is perfect. My shaft glistens with her saliva and the dual sensations are enough to send me spiraling over the edge way too soon and I brace one hand on my desk as my muscles tense.
"Soph…" I whisper a weak warning. She sucks me harder, hollowing out her cheeks, and my head drops back toward my shoulders as I empty myself into her.
She swallows every drop, like a goddamn champ, and I can’t resist leaning down to kiss her skilled mouth. "That was fucking amazing."
"Glad you liked it."
I help her to her feet and kiss her neck, her chin, the tip of her nose. "Understatement."
She curls into me and I hold her. Close physical contact is something I’ve missed out on. Stella was never warm and snuggly and I’d lost my mom when I was twelve. It sounds lame, but I craved the tender feel, and the warmth of a soft female body. Intimacy in the most basic sense of the word has been missing from my life for a long damn time. It feels nice just to hold her close.
"You cooked for me," I murmur against her throat, as the start to our evening comes back to me.
"I was trying to help," she whispers.
The sense of falling overwhelms me and I cling to her more, wrapping her tightly in my arms. "Thank you for the macaroni." I kiss her temple, knowing I’m in deep shit.
Sophie
After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I saunter toward the bed wearing only a pair of panties. Call me crazy, but there’s something I love about knowing that I tempt him, but he won’t act on it yet – for whatever reason.
But rather than watching me from the bed, like I expected, Colton’s staring down at his phone.
He’s frowning. And considering how hard I just made him come, I’m clueless about his foul mood.
"What’s wrong?" I ask, crawling up onto the big bed beside him.
He sets down his phone and his eyes lift to mine. "One of my stocks is tanking," he says.
He’s lying. He wasn’t checking his stock performance. Before the screen went dark on his smart phone, I could see that he was texting with someone, his fingers flying over the keys as anger boiled up inside of him.
I let it go. Whoever it was, it’s not something he wants to talk about with me, and considering the progress we’re making, I don’t want to ruin it. Of course I’m undeniably curious about his past, but for now, I have to accept the pieces of himself he’s willing to share.
Chapter Fifteen
Colton
"I need to go to New York – take care of some things," I say to Pace in between reps.
I move away from the bench and wipe my brow with my towel. Pace takes a seat, gripping the bar with a confused look on his face. "Tell me this has nothing to do with seeing Stella."
"We both know I need to take care of this mess between us. This has dragged on way too fucking long."
"It’s a bad idea, Colton. You never had any restraint where she was concerned. I just don’t want to see you dragged back into something you worked so hard to untangle yourself from."
He’s wrong about one thing – I’ve never untangled myself. "That’s what this trip is about – I promise you that. Closure. Once and for all."
He lays back and I hand him the bench press bar. He pumps out fifteen reps, puffing out slow, even breaths. "And how many times over the past year have I heard that?"
He’s right. I had let her get to me – to suck me back in, but this time felt different. This time I have Sophie in my life. It might not be much, but I have something on the horizon with a beautiful, sweet girl. And my damn moral compass won’t let me pursue her the way I want until I’m free of the mega-beast.
We move onto squats, but he’s still eyeing me curiously. "Are you taking Sophie with?"
"Fuck no. She doesn’t know anything about me and Stella, and I prefer it that way. I was actually going to ask if you’d stop over, keep an eye on her."
"Don’t trust her alone in your house, huh?"
"No, nothing like that. I just don’t want her to get bored." She’s working with Kylie now, but I know from experience evenings can be hard all alone in that big house.
"You got it, boss." Pace grins at me, a goofy smile that instantly tells me all the ways he plans to entertain her. It makes me want to pummel him. Christ, I need to get my head on straight.
Chapter Sixteen
Sophie
He hasn’t mentioned going to New York again and I’d almost forgotten about it. But when we reach his bedroom that evening, he heads straight into the closet, grabs a leather duffle bag from a drawer and begins stuffing articles of clothing inside.
"Are you packing?" I ask, entering the room behind him.
My side of the closet has filled out nicely with new dresses, jeans and tops. That one lone camisole still hangs haphazardly from a hanger and I still wonder about its owner.
"Yeah. I can’t put off going to New York any longer. I leave in the morning."
I nod, wondering if he’ll ask me to go along, but he doesn’t.
"It’s just one nig
ht," he says, reading my mind. "And I’ve asked Pace to come over and check on you."
"Okay," I murmur. An entire day and night without the promise of hanging out with Colton to look forward to? I’ll go stir crazy in this big house all alone, even with Pace stopping by. A plan takes shape in my brain. "I think I’ll call Marta for a girls night." I saunter away, leaving Colton in his closet staring after me with his mouth hanging open.
***
"Are you a candle? Because I want to blow you." I purse my lips and blow. Marta chokes on her wine, sputtering loudly.
We’re drunk and practicing pick-up lines to use on guys. After our second bottle of wine, the conversation took a turn for the dirty – beginning with Marta complaining about her lack of sex life.
"Oh! I’ve got one!" She rises to her unsteady feet and thrusts out her chest. "If I told you I worked for the post office, would you let me touch your package?"
I burst into a fit of giggles. She’s smiling so big, I don’t want to tell her it’s the worst pick up line ever. "It could work." I nod.
She plops down on the couch beside me and grabs the bottle to pour herself more wine. Quirking an eyebrow my way, she thrusts the bottle at me. "Want some?"
Peering down into my half-full glass, I shake my head. I better pace myself. It’s only eight o’clock and I’m decidedly buzzed.
"Seriously, why is it so hard to meet men in Los Angeles?" she complains, tucking her legs underneath her.
I shrug. "You’re gorgeous, you can’t seriously have problems meeting a guy."
Her gaze locks onto mine. "What about you?"
"What about me?"
"You and Colton. What’s the real story?" She wiggles her eyebrows.
I chuckle nervously. "Nothing. No story." My heart beat kicks up at the mere mention of his name.
She rolls her eyes. "Liar. Are you guys, like together?"
I shake my head. I don’t think so. I don’t know how to classify us. Our precarious start has led to something more, only I have no idea what. On my end, real feelings are developing. He’s driven, generous, utterly sexy and considerate. Of course I’m falling for him. But his own feelings remain tightly locked away. For all I know, he could be seeing someone else on the side. Although, I don’t know when he’d have the time. In between work, working out and me, he doesn’t have any free time.
Her eyes are still on me, weighing my reaction. "There’s not much to tell. Honestly, I have no idea how he feels about me."
"Have you slept with him?" she asks, her voice dropping lower.
Have you? I want to ask.
"No," I admit.
She bites her lip. "Hmm. That’s interesting."
I want to ask her what’s so interesting about it, but instead I decide to pour myself more wine after all. The doorbell chimes and Marta hops up from her perch on the sofa.
"I’ll get it!"
Moments later, Marta strolls back into the den with Pace trailing behind her. "Look who I found."
I’d forgotten that Colton said he’d send Pace over to check on me. Pace eyes the coffee table where the wine bottles signal exactly what we’ve been up to.
"Join us?" I grin at him.
He lifts two empty bottles from the table and flashes me a naughty smirk. "Trouble."
"Who, us?" Marta bats her eyelashes at him.
"I’m good, thanks though. I just came to check on you ladies, make sure you’re not getting into too much mischief while the boss is away."
"We’re being good. We’re just discussing why meeting a good man is so hard. Seriously, what’s a girl gotta do to get laid in this town?" Marta complains, taking another sip of wine.
Amusement gleams in Pace’s eyes and his lips curl into one of his delicious trademark smiles. "Let me know if I can help."
Marta rolls her eyes. "Colton would have your balls if you touched me and we both know it."
Pace’s smile fades. "True enough."
I wonder what that’s all about, but my tummy grumbles, reminding me that we’d foregone dinner in favor of alcohol. I head to the kitchen, grabbing handfuls of crackers and pretzels and munching on them as I head back to the den where Pace and Marta are speaking in low, hushed tones. I sense the mood of the evening has shifted, only I have no idea why.
"He’s an asshole if he keeps this from her," Marta says.
"He’s trying to figure it out, so we need to cut him some slack and let him do this his way," Pace reminds her, his voice firm.
My crunching attracts their attention and the conversation immediately stops. "Are you guys talking about Colton?" I ask, swallowing down a dry mouthful of crackers. It’s obvious that they were, I just want to see if they’ll be honest or try to lie to me.
They exchange a silent look.
I plop down on the sofa across from them, meeting Pace’s concerned gaze. "Why doesn’t he like me?" The words fall from my mouth before I can filter them. Maybe I’ve had more wine than I realized.
"I know he likes you," Pace says, confidence seeping from his every word.
"How?" I blurt.
"Because he’s finally dealing with shit he should have years ago."
"Pace…" Marta warns.
"Relax. I’m not going to spill the beans. Besides, you know I’m right," he says.
I wish I hadn’t drunk so much, I wish my head was clear enough to put together the puzzle pieces forming before me.
"Come on, we’re going out. Operation mancandy is going into effect starting tonight – for both of us," Marta announces, hoping up from the couch. "Pace you’ll take us out clubbing, won’t you?"
He frowns but nods his head. "I’ll make sure you’re safe."
I follow Marta upstairs to Colton’s bedroom. She heads straight for the closet and begins picking out outfits for both of us. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve been out, but this is what people my age do, right?
Marta changes into a denim mini skirt and halter top right in the closet. Knowing Pace is in the other room, sitting on the chaise, I’ll take my black shift dress to the bathroom to change. I haven’t had that much wine.
Marta saunters toward the bed and plops down. "God, I’d forgotten how comfortable this bed is. Holy shit." She snuggles into the pillows. "It’s like heaven threw up and this bed is the result."
I want to ask her when the hell she’s been in his bed, but I don’t. I might belong to him, but he’s not mine. And I don’t want to imagine anyone besides me in his bed. Needing to hide my warring emotions, I head into the bathroom to get ready.
In the mirror, I see a girl with wide, curious blue eyes and her heart wide open. It’s a dangerous combination. Falling for the man who bought me was never part of the deal. Could I be any more naïve? He hasn’t even slept with me yet, and already my feelings are running way too deep. A tiny thought pushes into my brain. Maybe he hasn’t slept with you yet because he actually likes you.
Unwilling to let myself get carried away with the thought, I change into the dress, leaving my clothes in a heap on the bathroom floor, then fluff my flat brown hair in the mirror. My cheeks are flushed pink from the wine, but my lips look pale in comparison. I wonder if Marta has some lip gloss I can borrow.
"Marta?" I exit the bathroom only to find her stretched out across the bed sound asleep.
Pace looks up at me from the chaise. "I think she’s out for the night."
Marta lets out a soft snore and curls onto her side.
I shrug. "That’s fine." I’d be just as happy changing into pjs and curling up with the TV remote.
"Thanks for coming tonight," I say to Pace.
"Not a problem." He rises to his feet. "The truth is, I wanted to come over and check on you. I was getting worried about you. Colton keeps you locked away like some sex slave."
My cheeks go bright red, but I force a laugh from my lips. Pace doesn’t know – he couldn’t possibly, I remind myself. "I’m doing good. You don’t have to worry."
"He likes you, you know."
I nod. I want to believe that. It’s crazy how much I can miss him. The house is too big and feels lifeless and empty without his presence.
I move to walk Pace out, but he stops me.
"I can lock up."
"Thanks."
Just before he reaches the bedroom door, he turns back to face me. "Just so you know, he would never cheat. He falls hard, gives people way too many chances and is kind and generous to a fault. Be careful with him."
I strip out of the dress with Pace’s strange warning still ringing in my ears. I throw on one of Colton’s t-shirts. Now that I’ve grown used to sleeping with him, with his warm arms around me, tonight I’ll have to settle for his scent.
Luckily the bed is big enough that I hardly notice Marta curled up on the opposite end.
I’m drifting off to sleep when my cell phone pings, informing me of a new text.
Colton: Are you awake?
My mouth curls into a happy grin and I hit call rather than reply to his text, eager to hear his deep, rumbly voice. I burrow myself under the covers so as not to wake Marta.
"Hello?"
"Hi," I return.
"Hi, sweetness. How was your girl’s night?"
Hearing the nickname reserved just for me and his gruff voice soothes me more than I could have imagined. I look over at Marta’s sleeping form in the bed next to me. "It was fun. How is…everything going there?"
"Eh. It’s to be expected, but I hope to have all this figured out soon so I can put it behind me."
I hate the not knowing. "Will you tell me…"
"Not yet. Just trust me, okay?"
I nod, before realizing he can’t see me. "Okay." The crazy thing is, I do trust him. So far, he’s given me no reason not to. "Will you be home tomorrow?"
"I have to stay another day," he says, his voice somber.