by M. S. Parker
“Oh fuck!” I yelled as he buried his cock deep inside me with one thrust. “Fuck!”
He wrapped one arm around my waist, keeping me still as he pounded into me. The other hand was busy at my breasts, fingers pinching and twisting my nipples until they were burning.
“Yes!” I cried out. I pulled at the belt, unable to stop myself even though I knew I couldn't get free. “Fuck, Gavin, please, baby. Please,” I begged.
“Please what?” Gavin asked. He swiveled his hips and I keened.
“Make me come,” I begged and squeezed my eyes closed. I was at that edge between pain and pleasure, so close to coming that my body was starting to tremble. All I needed was him to touch my clit and I'd come, I knew it.
“What if I don't want to?” he asked.
I couldn't figure out how he was able to talk when I could barely breathe.
“What if I want to deny your release? Keep you on that edge for hours?”
I whimpered at the thought of that sweet torture, the way the pressure would build and build but not dissipate.
“I want to do that,” he said. He lightly bit at the back of my neck. “Does it frighten you?”
I shook my head.
“Why not?” he asked without missing a single deep, penetrating stroke.
“Because,” I gasped. “I trust you.” My arms were starting to ache. My wrists hurt. My nipples were throbbing, sending pinpricks of pain through me. I knew that my pussy was going to be sore tomorrow. And I was so close to climax that it almost hurt. But still, I trusted him to take care of me. “I trust you,” I repeated.
“Fuck,” Gavin groaned. The arm around my waist tightened and he pressed his face against the side of my neck. He was mid-stroke as I felt him start to come.
I waited for his fingers to finish me off, to do what I couldn't, but he stilled, holding me against him as his cock emptied into me. My head fell forward, my body tense with pent-up energy. I pulled at the belt, making frustrated noise when nothing happened.
“I've got you,” Gavin whispered in my ear.
He brushed his thumb over one of my swollen nipples and I flinched. When he pulled out, my knees almost gave out. Every cell in my body was screaming for relief. As soon as he untied me, I'd have it. It wouldn't take much.
Something brushed against my calves and I opened my eyes, looking down. Gavin was moving between me and the bedpost. He slid his hands around the backs of my thighs, pulling me closer until he was able to maneuver my legs over his shoulders, placing his mouth right where I needed it.
He kept his hands on my ass, holding me still as his tongue darted out and flicked against my clit. A shudder ran through me. His tongue began to circle and dance around that little bundle of nerves until I was shaking. The moment his mouth covered it, I was gone.
My body went rigid as a burst of white light flooded over me. My hips bucked against his face and he only sucked harder, making me scream. Even after his lips released me, he wasn't through. His tongue dropped lower, lapping up every drop of our mingled juices. He thrust his tongue into me, sending another climax rolling over me as the first started to abate.
Again and again his mouth brought me until I was gasping, my nerves misfiring with every pass of his tongue. Only when I was sobbing, begging him to stop did he finally lower my legs to the floor where they immediately buckled. I cried out in pain as my shoulders wrenched and the leather cut into my wrists, but I didn't have the energy for anything else.
Gavin stood, one arm around my waist to hold me up as his other hand released the belt. As soon as my arms dropped, Gavin scooped me up and carried me to the side of the bed. He pulled off the pieces of my dress and my panties before sliding me between the sheets. He knelt next to the bed and I watched as he freed my hands. He frowned as he saw my wrists, red and most likely bruised from how hard I'd been struggling. I mustered up enough energy to reach out and put my hand on his cheek.
“That was perfect,” I whispered.
Relief and pride mingled on his face. He gently pushed me back as he climbed into the bed, maneuvering until he had me half-laying on his body, his arms around my shoulders, one of mine around his waist.
“I missed this,” he said softly. “I hadn't realized how much keeping this from you was pushing us apart. I've missed being close to you. And I've missed this part of our sex life. I knew I could live without it, but I hadn't thought it would mean this much.”
I pressed my lips against his chest. “Don't hold back on me again.”
“I won't,” he promised. He kissed the top of my head. “And thank you for making me deal with it.”
I nodded, suddenly exhausted. I closed my eyes and listened to the steady thrum of his heart. As I sank toward the darkness, I thought that maybe this trip hadn't been such a bad idea after all.
Chapter 7
Carrie
I was starting to regret having told Gavin to fuck me so hard I'd feel it the next day. Oh, I'd enjoyed every second of it the night before and I even liked the smug smile on Gavin's face the next morning when I grimaced as I sat down. What I wasn't enjoying was how difficult it was for me to walk normally and act like every movement wasn't causing my nipples to chafe against my bra and my pussy to throb in protest. If we'd been back home, it wouldn't have been too bad, since most of my work was done from my office where I could suffer in private. Here, however, we had an appointment to see the location for the club today. And since it had apparently been rescheduled once, there was no way I could ask for it to be postponed. Especially since I had no desire for Gavin to try to explain why.
As we climbed into the car Vincent had sent for us, Gavin's eyes flicked down to my wrists and he frowned. I reached over and took his hand, lacing my fingers between his. The belt had left faint black and blue marks around my wrists and I knew he was thinking back to my bruised wrists after Howard had tied me up. I raised our hands and kissed the back of his. I'd considered putting concealer on them and if they'd been any darker, I probably would've, but they were light enough that no one would notice unless they were really looking. Besides, I wanted him to know I wasn't ashamed of what we'd done. Granted, I wasn't exactly trying to advertise it, but I wasn't going to hide it either.
“Are you having second thoughts?” I asked. I needed to know if he was going to close down again.
“Are you?” he countered. He traced his finger across one of the bruises, careful not to actually touch the skin.
“Not a chance.” I squeezed his hand. “I'm looking forward to what we do next.”
He visibly relaxed and I breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully, that'd be the end of it. I loved that he was worried about me, and I appreciated everything he'd been willing to sacrifice, but I wanted us to move past what Howard had done, and we couldn't do that if he was tiptoeing around what he wanted, afraid I'd freak out.
I leaned against Gavin and he put his arm around me as we watched the scenery go by. The weather was just as gorgeous as it had been the day before, sunny and the perfect temperature. If we could get through with the inspection of the location in good time, maybe we could check out more of the sights Cannes had to offer.
We were on Rue des Féres Pradignac soon, driving past various bars and nightclubs. I didn't catch any of the names, but they all looked high-end. About three-quarters of the way down the street, the car slowed down and pulled up to the curb. Vincent was already waiting outside.
“Gavin! Carrie!” He beamed at us both and gave me an enthusiastic, but not exactly inappropriate, hug. “It is good to see you again.”
I smiled and nodded but didn't speak. A figure was stepping out of the shadows and my smile tightened.
“Good morning.” Alizee gave Gavin and me warm and professional smiles. “Vincent asked for me to come take a look at your location. He wished for my opinion as I am, if you do not know, well-versed in the business of pleasure in this part of the world.”
“He mentioned that you own quite a few bars and clubs,” Ga
vin said. He gestured up the street. “Any of these yours?”
Alizee nodded, but didn't elaborate on her own businesses. “Vincent chose wisely.” She folded her arms and looked at the front of the club. “This building is perfectly located. There are bars and clubs there, there and there.” She pointed to the businesses across the street and next door. “They are for dancing and drinking, but no girls. No sex. Putting a club here that caters to sex will draw customers from those clubs, but not take enough of their business to cause problems.”
I wondered if Vincent had really thought of all that or if it had just been a great deal on a building in the right section of the city. I didn't see any other places that looked like they would be up for sale.
“Shall we take a look inside?” Vincent opened the door and made a gesture for Alizee to enter first.
She did, and then I followed. Gavin came after and Vincent last. The interior of the building was dark so I stepped to the side while I waited for my eyes to adjust. They didn't have to do much since the overhead lights came on a moment later.
Gavin stepped to my side as we looked around. The place was dusty and had an air of disuse, but it was obvious that someone had been caring for it enough that there didn't seem to be any of the pest problems that empty places back home would've had after just a couple days.
A bar ran along one side, the shelves behind it looking like they could hold a fair amount of liquor. Other than the bar, the rest of the building was empty. The ceiling was high, with simple lighting. The floor was wood, typical for a dance club. The space itself was impressive, but it was down to nearly the bare bones.
“Vincent has explained to me that you are quite the visionary when it comes to the design of these clubs.” Alizee stepped between Vincent and Gavin, though it was clear she was only talking to Gavin. “Tell me, what do you see here?”
I looked up at Gavin. I hadn't been there when he'd created the club back home, but I'd seen how impressive it had been. Despite all of the negative things I associated with it, the design had been amazing.
“We don't want something identical to the club in New York,” Gavin began. He walked into the center of the room and looked up. “But we want the feel to be the same. Something sensual. Seductive.”
“This is good,” Alizee said. She took a few steps toward him, her eyes narrowing as she watched him.
I frowned. I wasn't sure I liked how she was looking at my boyfriend. It wasn't anything overt and she hadn't said or done anything that was even the slightest bit inappropriate. Just a feeling I had, something in my gut that said maybe I shouldn't trust her.
“I'm thinking we work with the wood that's here,” Gavin continued with his vision, oblivious to what was going on in my head. “Strings of lights instead of pulsing ones. Something to differentiate it from the other dance clubs. Long, filmy curtains.” He turned back to Vincent and shrugged. “Just my first impression. And I'll put together a couple different ideas so we can decide together on what we want.” He looked at me to make sure I knew he was including me in the decision.
I smiled, hoping he couldn't read the thoughts on my face. As Alizee began discussing the practicalities of some of Gavin's ideas, I tried to look like I was paying attention, but I was more concerned with keeping my eyes on the other woman. I watched her movements, where her hands went, how she tilted her head, the way she smiled. I'd watched Leslie and Krissy flirt enough to know all the signs. After just a few minutes, I was forced to admit that either Alizee was very subtle or I wasn't reading her right.
Or, I thought, it wasn't that she was interested in Gavin sexually. Maybe there was another agenda here. If she had other clubs and bars in the area, it was possible Vincent was wrong and she saw our club as a threat. Maybe she was looking for weaknesses, or trying to steer us in the wrong direction.
That might've been a possibility, I conceded, if Vincent hadn't acted like the woman walked on water. He knew what he was doing, and I seriously doubted he'd invite someone who'd hurt his business venture.
It was just that I still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about her. I wanted to pull Gavin aside and ask him about it, but I knew this wasn't a good time. Especially since I'd just spent a good portion of yesterday talking about how I trusted him. I'd feel him out about Alizee later and see if he'd gotten the same vibe from her. If he hadn't, I wouldn't push the matter. I'd chalk it up to some lingering issues on my part and let it go.
With that decided, I turned my attention back to the conversation.
“It will be a good idea for you to meet with the owners of the other establishments around here,” Alizee was saying. “You will want to establish a mutual agreement where you refer customers in accordance with their desires. For example, should a customer ask for a dance club, you could point them across the street. In turn, any customers who inquire about things of a sexual nature, that club would recommend this place.”
That was really smart, I thought.
“Well, Vincent will be taking care of that,” Gavin said. “Carrie and I live in New York, so most of the personal connections will be his responsibility.”
“No.” Alizee shook her head. “You are to be the face of the club.” She glanced at me. “You and your beautiful lover.”
Gavin protested, “Vincent–”
“We will work out those details later,” Vincent hurriedly said.
I got the impression that Vincent didn't want to take sides.
“Right now, we must discuss the changes we need to make to the space,” he continued. “Alizee knows the best contractors in the city. She will be able to direct us to the best pricing.”
“Right,” Gavin agreed. “Well, the first thing we need to look at is the foundation. Make sure it's solid. Once that's done, we'll want to take a look at the basic structure. We'll want inspectors who know the required standards we'll have to meet.”
I'd been distracted before by my own thoughts, but this time, the conversation itself wasn't one I followed very well. I knew, in theory, what all went into the design of Club Privé, but I hadn't been a part of the day-to-day practicalities of it. There was a reason I was a lawyer and not a businesswoman.
I could see, however, what a savvy businesswoman Alizee was. She didn't just follow what Gavin was saying. She made suggestions, provided information. She was actually more involved in the conversation than Vincent was. And way more than me. When they'd started to walk through the building, Gavin had taken my hand so we walked side-by-side, and he wasn't shutting me out, but it was obvious I wasn't serving any real function here.
When there was a pause in the conversation as Alizee and Vincent started talking rapidly in whatever language they spoke, I tapped on Gavin's shoulder. He looked down.
“I'm going to step outside and call the office. I want to see how things are going. Find out if Zoe's heard how Robyn's doing.”
Gavin glanced at his watch. “It's close to five back home. Did you really make Zoe work full days when you're gone?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, Gavin. I'm not a slave driver. She's supposed to stop in for a few hours every day to get the mail, sort through email, that kind of stuff. I asked her to come in later in the day so if I did call, I didn't have to bother her on her time off.”
“Good idea.” He smiled at me and kissed my forehead. “If we're done before you are, I'll meet you outside.”
I nodded and headed back toward the exit. I blinked a few times as I stepped out into the bright afternoon sunlight. I pulled a pair of sunglasses out of my bag and slipped them on before fishing out my phone. I walked down the sidewalk as I waited for the call to go through.
“Carrie?” Zoe's voice crackled, then cleared. “Is everything okay?”
“It's fine, Zoe.” I smiled at her concern. “I just wanted to check in. Anything new going on?”
While Zoe filled me in on motions and files received, I turned and started heading back toward the building. As I did, I noticed a man across the
street leaning against a beat-up car. His eyes were on me and, as I passed, he nodded. I gave a half-smile, grateful I had the phone as an excuse not to respond. I wasn't sure if he was flirting or just being polite, but I didn't feel like meeting any strangers at the moment.
“And what about Robyn?” I asked. “Have you heard from her?”
“No.” Zoe sounded frustrated. “And the D.A. called yesterday. Said if Robyn doesn't show up to testify in front of the grand jury, chances are, Little Tino's going to walk. Again.”
I sighed. “Well, keep me posted and let me know as soon as something happens.” I refused to say 'if.' I was still holding out hope that Robyn would come to her senses and testify. She just had to admit what a part of her already knew, that Little Tino was using her. I didn't understand how she could let him do that to her. Did she really think so little of herself, or was she actually so in love with him that she was willing to ignore everything that told her what a dick he was?
“Are you and Gavin having fun?” Zoe asked.
I smiled, even though she couldn't see me. “Yes, we are.”
“That's great,” she said sincerely. “You two deserve it. Now don't worry about anything back here. You guys just enjoy your vacation. Everything will be waiting for you when you get back. I promise.”
“Thanks, Zoe.”
“Anytime.”
As I ended the call, I heard a man's voice call my name.
I turned, expecting to see Gavin. Instead, the stranger from across the street was coming toward me, taking long, quick strides that were closing the distance between us at a rapid rate. There was no way I could outrun him.
Chapter 8
Carrie
“You are Carrie Summers?”
The man was just a few feet away now and I was frozen to the spot.
“My name is Pierre Bastillo.” He stopped before he was within reaching distance, as if he'd figured out that his approach was freaking me out. “I am a journalist.”