“Speaking of perfection,” Jace said, his gaze drifting over her, “I must tell you, you’re the finest female in here.”
“Oh, so you’ve checked out all the women, have you?” Peyton pretended to be perturbed as she reached for her menu.
“Cursory glances while looking for all available exits.”
“How many exits are there?” Peyton giggled when Jace made a big show of looking around.
“Three.”
Jace winked at her and she rolled her eyes at him before studying the menu. She was still trying to decide what to order when their server came back a few minutes later with their drinks and finally selected fresh strawberry crepes with bacon.
“I’m so hungry,” Peyton said when they were alone again.
“Did you enjoy your dinner last night?”
“You know I did. Thank you again. That was so thoughtful.”
Jace smiled. “It’s my pleasure. What did you end up doing the rest of the evening?”
The innocent question sent a rush of heat to her cheeks.
“I watched some of the shows I recorded. Nothing too exciting. How was the game?”
“Ha! Like you care.”
Peyton shrugged. “Hey, I’m always willing to listen. I just can’t promise to watch.”
“Watching not required and I don’t feel the need to discuss sports with you either.” Jace tilted his glass toward her. “Not when there are so many other more interesting topics for us to talk about.”
“Agreed. For instance, what do you think about spanking?”
Jace sat his mimosa down with a frown. “Spanking?” His frown dissolved into a huge grin. He reached for her hand across the table and squeezed it. “Are you thinking about having a baby, Pey? We’ve got plenty of time to talk about discipline for our children, but I don’t think spanking is—”
“Whoa!” Peyton snatched her hand from Jace’s to wave it. “I wasn’t talking about babies.”
“Okay. What are you talking about?”
The confusion etched on Jace’s handsome face made her stomach twist. She’d kind of been hoping he’d clue in to what she was talking about without her having to spell it out.
She cleared her throat, ready to tell him when their server arrived with their food. Jace waited until she was gone to look at her.
“Now, what were you saying?”
Peyton watched him dig into his waffle and shrugged. “I was talking about…”
“About?” Jace prompted, glancing up from his plate to stare at her.
“About…you maybe…spanking me.”
Jace laughed. “Holy shit! Are you serious?”
Peyton picked up her knife and cut into her crepes. “I am.”
“So, I’m not smacking that ass enough for you when we’re—”
“Shh!”
She glared at him when he chuckled again. Peyton tasted her crepes, barely noticing how delicious they were.
“No, for real, though, what I’m doing when we’re doing it isn’t enough for you?”
She finished her bite as Jace studied her. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. I just…I don’t know…get turned on by the thought of you putting me over your knee or making me lay across the bed or hold onto a chair for a spanking.”
Jace shook his head with a small smile. “Now, that sounds like some real freaky shit. I can’t believe that turns you on. You’re joking, right?”
The incredulous look on his face made her wish she’d never said anything.
What had she been thinking to share something like that with him?
She swirled a strawberry in the whipped topping on her plate and forced a grin. “I was totally joking.”
“Ah! Good.” Jace snorted. “You had me going there for a minute. Spanking. Wow.” He shook his head. “I could tie you up for foreplay.”
Peyton managed a small smile as he chuckled, feeling like she was acting out her role for her boyfriend.
Phone actress performs at breakfast.
Jace changed the subject and Peyton did her best to keep up with the conversation as they ate, but her mind kept wandering back to Michael. Heat curled within her as she recalled him describing how he’d spank and finger fuck her. Her panties dampened and she squirmed in her seat. She was glad when they finally finished their meal, paid and exited the restaurant.
“Earth to Peyton,” Jace said as they walked to his car.
She looked up at him, squinting in the sunlight. “What?”
“I asked you if you wanted to take in a movie or go back to my place and take in me, movie afterwards.”
Peyton lifted an eyebrow. “Oh, well, that’s a hard decision to make.”
Jace unlocked the vehicle and opened the door for Peyton. “So”—he pressed against her lavender sundress and she could feel his erection against her back—“hard.”
Peyton turned around, saw the longing in Jace’s eyes and smiled. She lifted up on her tiptoes to kiss him. Jace was a damn good kisser and he never failed to make her heart race when his lips touched hers. This time was no different and fueled by her feelings of guilt, she responded with more fervor than she was actually feeling, telling herself to concentrate and enjoy the present moment. She needed to get Michael off her mind and concentrate on what was real.
“Damn, babe,” Jace said after ending the kiss.
“Mmm…let’s go to my place. It’s closer.”
Peyton winked at him then got into his car. She cast a glance at Jace, laughing with him at some joke she’d barely heard. He’d trimmed his beard and it accentuated the strong law of his jaw. Jace had the kind of looks and style that would make any woman turn twice to take it all in. He was even more handsome with his face lit up with happiness like it was right now.
Peyton stifled a sigh, concentrating on engaging in the conversation. Thankfully, Jace did most of the talking on the drive back to her condo. She appreciated Jace for the man he was and she focused on that once they were inside her place. The tenderness in his eyes touched her as he slowly stripped her of her sundress and lingerie. He made love to her with the same degree of care, taking his time until she was breathless and moaning with pleasure. It was sweet and lovely and the exact opposite of the dark needs that had been keeping her up at night. When she finally climaxed, it was Michael’s words in her mind that sent her over the edge, not Jace’s unexpected declaration of love.
Later, snuggled against his chest, Peyton lay in the dark listening to Jace’s heartbeat.
“Are you asleep?” He drew his arms tighter around her.
“Almost.”
Jace moved his hand up to toy with her hair. “I meant what I said earlier.”
Peyton had hoped he wouldn’t bring up his mentioning of the ‘L’ word. She had no idea what to say or what she felt.
“Peyton, I do love you. I want to make you happy. You make me very happy.”
Her heart fluttered, but it wasn’t the kind of flutter associated with overwhelming joy. She cared deeply for Jace. Maybe she could even love him, but right at this very moment, she couldn’t say those three little words without hesitation.
“Peyton?”
Tears stung her eyes as she lifted her face from his chest to look at him. She had to say something.
“You make me happy, too.”
Jace gave her a small smile, but she could see the disappointment in his eyes and it made her want to say more.
“I’m glad I make you happy. I always feel like there’s a part of you holding back. I wish you’d open your heart to me. I promise, I will not break it.”
The tears blurring her vision spilled and Jace frowned.
“I’m sorry,” Peyton said as she wiped the moisture away. “You’re an amazing guy and I love spending time with you. I—I just…”
“Shh…it’s okay. I know you aren’t ready to take it there yet with me. I just wanted you to know that I was ready and I’m willing to wait until you are too.”
Peyton laid her head ba
ck on his chest and closed her eyes.
What was she doing?
Why couldn’t she fall for this man who’d already proclaimed his love?
“I promised you a movie afterwards. Do you still want to go to the show?” Jace rubbed her shoulders.
Peyton teased Jace’s chest hair with her fingertips. “That new blockbuster is out this weekend.”
“You’re up for that thriller?”
“It’s got what’s-his-name in it.”
Jace chuckled. “Oh, that’s right. You’ll see anything with him. I forgot. I’m going to get my phone to check movie times.”
Peyton groaned when he moved from under her. “Bring mine back too, please.”
She watched him strut naked out of the bedroom before falling onto her back to stare up at the ceiling, thinking about Jace. She wanted to stay in bed and figure out why she’d sabotaged a good thing. Talking to Michael had amplified the fact that she wanted more from her current relationship.
Peyton sighed.
After this morning, she was almost certain Jace would never fulfill her darker desires. Peyton glanced at her nightstand drawer where her toys and headset were tucked away and thought about Michael. She wondered what he was doing and if he thought about her half as much as she thought about him.
One thing was certain.
She had to stop thinking about Michael.
Peyton smiled brightly at Jace when he walked back into the room. She nodded absently as he rattled off movie times for the next showing.
“I’m going to take a quick shower,” Peyton said. She scooted off the bed and padded toward the bathroom.
“Okay, but don’t take too long. You know I hate missing the previews.”
She stuck her tongue out at him, firmly shut the bathroom door and slowly exhaled.
Michael was just a sexy voice in a fantasy world where she played her part and usually made up all the rules. She needed to break the spell of lust he seemed to have over her. The next time Michael called, she would rein him in. Make him come for her, finally gain control over the call—and him—like she did with all her other callers.
Except you aren’t just playing a part with Michael.
Peyton frowned as she turned on the shower, choosing to ignore the inner voice threatening to weaken her resolve. She adjusted the water temperature, deciding an adjustment was needed where her thoughts of Michael were concerned as well.
Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:
Ample Delights
Nichelle Gregory
Excerpt
Chapter One
“Terrah, can you add a few more sparkles to Jocelyn’s eye makeup?”
“My pleasure. Can you look up for me?” Terrah asked Jocelyn. She ignored the model’s bored sigh as she began to apply more blue rhinestones around her eyes.
The blonde bombshell could be a pain to work with, but today she was worse than usual.
Biting back a sigh of her own, Terrah dusted her brush on her hand before applying more of the smoky bronze eyeshadow to highlight Jocelyn’s blue eyes.
“How’s this?” Terrah asked, turning to Michelle.
The art director had been instrumental in helping Terrah build her portfolio when she’d first started by recommending her to other clients. Terrah had snagged some of the best jobs of her career because of Michelle’s confidence in and praise for her work.
“Perfect!” Michelle looked at her watch. “We start shooting in twenty minutes.”
“Perfect,” Jocelyn muttered as she scrutinized her appearance in the mirror. She got up from her chair, stunning in the couture evening gown that clung to her slender form, and walked away.
Michelle frowned. “She’s in a mood today.”
“I couldn’t tell.”
Her sarcasm wasn’t lost on the art director, and they both chuckled as Terrah stored her brushes.
“You’d think she’d be in a great mood”—Michelle shook her head as she fiddled with her iPad—“especially since she’s working with Nick today.”
Nick Tasso.
Everyone in the world of fashion knew his name. He was one of the most sought-after male models in the business. Tabloid pictures of Nick and Jocelyn kissing in a club had circulated in entertainment news for months. Today would be Terrah’s first time working with him.
“Speak of the gorgeous devil…”
Terrah glanced up from her makeup case to see Nick approaching them. Her heart skipped a beat as her gaze skated over the Greek model.
Lawd, have mercy.
Nick Tasso was beyond gorgeous. Dressed in an elegant tux, he was positively lethal to any female with a pulse, and Terrah’s was racing. He was sexier in person than on the magazine pages she’d never admit to having stared at before arriving at the studio. His thick, dark brown hair gleamed almost black in the studio. He had beautiful…no, mesmerizing green eyes framed by long, sooty lashes on a profile the gods had surely chiseled with love, by hand. Terrah loved the way his olive skin contrasted perfectly with the pristine white tuxedo shirt, which he wore open, revealing taut abs beneath. His dark good looks belonged on the glossy pages of magazines, to be seen and adored by women all over the world.
Adored and ogled.
Terrah cursed under her breath, annoyed by her thoughts. She was used to working in close proximity with beautiful females and males. It was her job, and not once had she been physically attracted to a model.
Until today.
“Ready for me?” Nick asked, flashing them both a brilliant smile before turning his green eyes on Terrah.
His deep voice reminded her of warm leather, strong and soothing to the senses.
“I am.” Terrah patted the chair beside her. “Have a seat here.”
“You’ll be in good hands with Terrah.”
Michelle winked at her as Nick sat down. The art director walked off, and Terrah ignored the flutter of butterflies in her stomach as she fished around in her makeup case for the right powder for Nick. She selected a sponge for application, then pivoted on her heels to find Adonis looking right at her.
And that would be because you’re right in his face.
“This won’t take long. Can you take off your shirt? I don’t want to get makeup on it.”
“No problem.”
Terrah stepped out of his way as he stood up to shrug out of his tuxedo jacket and shirt. Her pulse quickened as her eyes swept over hard, defined muscles. She met his eyes and knew, finally knew, what it meant to be spellbound by a man.
How could she have thought his eyes were simply green? They were aqua green.
Like the ocean.
Terrah straightened her back, annoyed by the flash of heat running up her neck to her cheeks. She prided herself on being a seasoned professional, unaffected by the plethora of male goodness she often found herself surrounded by. Besides, she refused to mentally moon over a pretty-boy model, especially one dating someone as vapid and annoying as Jocelyn. He was obviously into boring, bone-skinny blondes.
Terrah pressed the sponge to Nick’s face and quickly blended the foundation into his skin. It took all of her energy to focus on her task and not the strong line of his jaw or his ripped abs she lightly dusted. She was almost done when Jocelyn rounded the small partition in front of Terrah’s workspace.
“Nick, we need to talk.”
“Not now, Jocelyn.”
Terrah sensed rather than heard the steel in Nick’s voice. “It’s okay, I’m all done.” She stepped away from him, hoping they’d leave her area to have their lovers’ quarrel.
“Thank you,” Nick said with a warm smile.
“You’re welcome.”
Terrah returned his grin as he got up, grabbed his jacket and shirt and strode past Jocelyn. She couldn’t help watching the two models as they walked out of earshot, speaking in hushed tones. It was clear they were at odds about something from Terrah’s vantage point. Jocelyn was pissed off, and Nick seemed unconcerned about whatever was bother
ing her as Michelle effectively ended their little tête-à-tête by calling the models to their places.
Terrah moved toward the set, feeling the familiar surge of adrenaline rush through her as the photo shoot began. With a critical eye, she looked at her work beneath the bright lights. She admired the breathtaking design of the shimmering magenta gown molded to Jocelyn’s willowy frame. The blonde looked amazing, leaning into Nick’s sculpted body with her hand pressed on his smooth chest. This shoot was going to catapult Jocelyn into the supermodel stratosphere.
And I did the makeup.
Terrah grinned. She was pleased with her work and the direction her career was taking. Her smiled faded a little as her gaze wandered over to the photographer, who was busy snapping frame after frame.
Aidan Marks.
He still looked the same, carried himself in the same self-assured manner that had drawn her to him when they’d first met, almost five years ago. She’d been impressed by his drive and talent, unable to resist a dinner date when he’d asked her out. In retrospect, she’d been a little star-struck when the up-and-coming photographer had taken an interest in her. Dinner had led to a weekend spent mostly in bed. Terrah could admit to herself now that she’d been bowled over by the older man’s attention. She hadn’t allowed her heart to get involved with their little fling, but she hadn’t forgotten him, either.
Terrah watched Aidan work, captivated by his ability to get the models to give him the shots he wanted. Learning he was going to be the photographer for the photo shoot had been a surprise. She hadn’t known exactly what to say to him when she’d planned to say hello. Thankfully, there hadn’t been any time to approach him beforehand and she hadn’t seen him on the set when she’d been doing the makeup. Terrah was certain he’d long forgotten about their little tryst that had taken place many years ago.
Since then he’d become one of the most critically acclaimed photographers in the business, jet-setting all over the world, working with the most promising models. Whether he remembered Terrah or not, landing her current job with him was a huge accomplishment. Just adding his name to her list of clients was going to open even more doors for her in the future.
She’d been in the business eight years, and it hadn’t been an easy road to get to the level she was now. The constant rejections, criticisms and the effort needed to continually prove she was the best at her craft had forced her to grow a thick skin. She took pride in every modeling gig she acquired, maintained her cool in the craziest and most stressful environments and had earned a solid professional reputation.
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