“And my mother loved him like none other. It took two years for my sister and me to convince her to sell our family home just outside Philly. That’s where all the family memories were stored…all the memories she needed to let go of to survive. Finally, she acquiesced and moved into the city to be close to us. She’s happy now, but I don’t think she’ll ever marry again. No one can ever replace my father.”
I understood what he said. Though my mother’s first love was hardly as adoring, there’d always been an attachment she couldn’t let go of. There had never been another.
I stared at the ocean, absorbing his words as the waves gently crested along the shoreline. The word “love,” which had been mentioned several times in our conversation, rolled silently over my tongue.
“Ari…”
“Yes?”
Do you think you can love someone again? The words I was burning to say stayed trapped in my throat, and instead I commented on his earlier behavior.
“You get jealous.” My observation was more lighthearted than judgmental.
He let out a short, sexy laugh. “Yeah, I confess. I get jealous. I wanted to kill that asshole.”
“You can be a very bad boy, Mr. Golden,” I laughed back.
“Ms. Greene, I was never good at sharing my toys.”
A pang of anger stabbed at me. “You think I’m a toy?”
“No, not at all.” He flicked the tip of my nose. “I just want you all for myself.”
“Then come and get me.”
Relieved, I didn’t know what made me do it, but I broke away from him and took off like the wind. Turning and running backward for a few yards, I shouted out at my shocked companion, “You said you could keep up with me. Prove it.”
Without waiting for a response, I sprinted across the sand.
“You’re going to pay for this, my pretty princess,” I heard him shout back.
I craned my neck and stole a look at him. He was running after me at hell-bent speed. I propelled my legs to run faster. My lungs were burning and so were my thighs. I looked over my shoulder one more time. Shit! He was gaining ground on me; I needed to run faster, but I couldn’t. Panting, I was losing speed and running out of stamina. I could feel him behind me, his breath on me. And then a powerful arm cinched my waist, stopping me dead in my tracks. He flipped me around, his breathing ragged.
“Saarah, it’s payback time.”
Holding me prisoner with one arm, he feverishly unbuttoned my jeans and yanked them down without even bothering to unzip them. Then, one-handedly, he pulled my T-shirt over my head and tossed it onto the sand. His lustful eyes made their way from my head to my toes, lingering on the obvious places.
“Fuck. You’re so, so beautiful.”
The words rolled off his tongue like a song. Then as he hauled me to him, a sharp slap sounded in my ears and a sharp sting zapped my ass. Simultaneously.
“You’re getting something my son never gets,” he breathed in my ear. “A good spanking.”
Holy crap! I’d never been spanked before in my life. My mother didn’t believe in that form of corporal punishment. And while I had always shuddered when I heard about other children being spanked, I was strangely looking forward to it.
Before I could take another heated breath, his large hand struck me again. Whack! I winced. And then again and again. Each slap louder and harder than the one before. With each blow, I let out a shriek, and tears stung my eyes. Yet, somehow, this licking was turning me on. Wetness was dripping down my legs, and I was tingling all over.
“You won’t stray from me again…will you, Saarah?”
Whack.
I shook my head no, stifling a cry.
“Good.”
My pulse racing, my muscles tightening, I was prepared for another swat of his hand, but instead the spanking stopped. He gently rubbed my raw, burning buttock. The pleasure mixed with the pain, creating an erotic cocktail that aroused every nerve in my body.
He grinned wickedly. “I’m not done with you.”
My heart thundered as I wondered what could be next.
In one swift move, he scooped me up and laid me down on the sand. The cool grains felt soothing against my burning ass.
“Spread your legs,” he ordered, all six-foot-three of his virile perfection, looming above me.
Trembling, I did what he asked.
My gaze stayed riveted on him as he loosened the drawstring of his linen pants, letting them fall to the sand before expertly stepping out of them and then tearing off his shirt. He stood above me in his naked glory, his enormous cock, hard and erect, aimed at me like a lethal weapon. Before I could blink an eye, he threw his torso upon mine and, with a savage grunt, plunged his steely spear deep inside me. I winced. Oh my warrior!
“You’re going to get it hard, my deviant little princess.” He grunted out each word, already grinding his raging hot length in and out of me without restraint. “So hard you’re going to beg me to stop—but I’m not—GRUNT—and when I’m done with you, you’re going to scream my name so loud you’re going to wake up all the fishies in the sea.”
Gah! A retribution fuck. I was speechless. The only sounds I was capable of were garbled shrieks and whimpers as he plundered me like a madman. Just two days ago, I was a virgin, being stretched by a stranger on a train, and now I was letting this relentless beast ravage me as if I’d done it my whole adult life. Digging my fingertips into the sand, I squeezed my muscles around his ruthless cock, bucking my hips to meet every forceful thrust. Rubbing my clit as he hammered me, he was taking me to the limit and sending me over the edge. Was this beautiful love or beautiful torture? I just hoped I wasn’t going to wake up his son or his sister.
Hovering above me, his breathing grew ragged, and wisps of his hair fell forward onto his gorgeous face. His eyes glinted with raw lust and passion. Pure primal need.
“Do you like it when I fuck your tight little pussy hard?” he panted out as I brushed back the flaxen strands.
I managed a weak nod. Don’t stop, now.
With a fiendish smirk, he accelerated his pace, pounding me faster and faster. Harder and harder. Fast and furiously. I wrapped my legs around him just to hold on, not knowing this action would allow him to drive into me even deeper. And much harder. My whimpers morphed into sobs. Loud, needy sobs that were begging for release. My climax was building with the force of a tidal wave and I could tell from the exquisite torture written on his face so was his.
Just when I thought he couldn’t go any deeper and I couldn’t take any more, he cupped his hands under my sore ass and lifted it up off the sand. Thrusting his cock one more time ruthlessly inside me, he cried out, “Now, princess!”
At his command, my orgasm crashed through me like a tsunami, taking every cell, every molecule of my being with it as his own epic orgasm chased my sea of fierce waves. I wailed happily, helplessly as he hoarsely shouted out my name and then collapsed on top of me.
Drowning in our sea of juices, he couldn’t move. Nor could I. The cold sand beneath me was a welcomed contrast to the heat of his sweat-laced body blanketing mine. Our breathing was still harsh as his hot release spilled out of me.
I don’t know how long we stayed in this position when he rolled off me. Recovered from his epic orgasm, he repositioned his glorious body so that he was perpendicular to me, his head resting on my warm breasts. He swiveled his head so that his eyes, two glistening stars, gazed at my face. I ruffled my fingers through his damp silky hair. His fingers danced along my neck, twirling around that strangely erotic spot below my chin as he let out a breathy sigh.
“That was fucking incredible, Saarah.”
“Yeah.”
I was basking in the aftermath of our mind-blowing orgasms. Despite the turbulence I’d just experienced, there was now peacefulness. Harmony. The soft waves of the ocean synchronized with the exquisite waves still rolling through me.
He flicked my chin. “Do you think you’ve been punished enough for one ni
ght?”
I jerked a little. Was he thinking of fucking me again? After all, he was still erect. I just wasn’t sure if I could handle it.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to fuck you again although you are quite insatiable.”
I laughed. “Hey, I should be punishing you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You left me all alone at the party and flirted with that blonde. You even kissed her.”
He tugged at my ponytail. “Saarah, Saarah, Saarah. That jealous streak of yours rivals mine. That woman is my head of sales. Anne Connelly. And she happens to be happily married with two kids. The reason I kissed her is that she told me another one is on its way. Oh, and by the way, she’s gay.”
I gulped. I mistakenly jumped the gun. I needed to apologize. Before I could say a word, he rose to his feet, lifting me up with him. He drew me in close to him and smashed his lips against mine. The kiss was fierce, hot, and maddening. I melted into him as his warm tongue chased mine. Desire for another helping of his cock was rising inside me.
I pulled away, my confidence soaring. “I’m going to punish you anyway.”
I ran my fingers down his chiseled chest and over the ripples of his six-pack, heading toward his magnificent erection. To my shock, he caught my wrist, stopping me in my path before I could reach my final destination. His gaze met my shell-shocked eyes. The expression on his face was far from desirous. His eyes, half-moons, conveyed something between aloofness and anxiety.
“Saarah, get dressed. I need to—”
“Be there for your son.”
I finished the sentence for him. As much as I understood where he was coming from, I felt bereft. This was my real punishment for getting too close to him. With a weighty heart, I brushed the sand off my body and quickly donned my jeans and tee.
“Let me walk you back to the guesthouse,” he offered, sliding his linen pants up over his semi-erect length.
“Don’t bother. I’m a big girl.”
Without looking back, I sprinted across the sand. I was nothing more than a guest in his life. Someone who had to respect his rules and his space. Someone who had no right to tomorrow. I had to remember that. I was just his girl toy. Tears pricked my eyes. As I neared the guesthouse, I noticed the silhouette of someone perched on the upper terrace of the main house. The moonlight illuminated her face. It was Gwen. A shudder rippled through me. She had been spying on us.
Ari
What the fuck was wrong with me?
A whirling dervish of emotions swirled through my head.
Remorse.
Confusion.
Guilt.
Frustration.
Lust.
Planting my hands on the front door to my beach house, I slammed my head against the hard slab of wood, hoping the pain would give me clarity. It didn’t. It only gave me a bigger headache than the one I already had. My head throbbed as much as my aching cock. Brushing off some sand, the only souvenir of this fucked up night, I let myself into the house. As usual, the door was unlocked.
The house was dark and quiet. Rubbing my throbbing head, I shuffled to the kitchen. I needed a stiff drink. Badly. Upon entering it, I turned on the light and got a surprise. Wearing a silk robe that resembled a kimono, my sister Gwen was seated at the island counter sipping a glass of red wine.
Her jade green eyes met mine. She didn’t seem as surprised to see me as I did to see her.
“What are you doing up?” I asked as I trod to a cabinet to pour myself a brandy. I found an open bottle of Hennessey and filled a tumbler to the brim. Wasting no time, I took a gulpful. The potent alcohol instantly burned through my veins. My head hurt a little less.
“I couldn’t sleep.” She took a sip of her wine. “How was your party?”
I drained my glass. “It was okay.”
“Looks like you and Sarah were having quite the good time on the beach.”
My blood curdled. I tightened my squeeze around the tumbler, fighting the urge to fling it across the room and smash it into smithereens.
“What the fuck, Gwen? You were spying on me?” Rage fueled my voice.
“No. I’m looking out for you.” Her voice stayed calm.
“What the hell do you mean?” My voice grew louder with each word.
“I’m not going to bullshit you, Ari. I don’t like that girl.”
My mind flashed back to Ben’s birthday dinner. It was plain and clear to me that my sister didn’t care for Sarah, but I thought bringing her here might warm Gwen up to her. The contempt in Gwen’s voice proved I was wrong. Very wrong.
“What don’t you like about her?” I challenged.
“Everything. She’s from the wrong side of the tracks. She’s way too young for you. And she has no understanding of your needs or Ben’s.”
“For your information, she gets me very well.”
“Oh, she knows how to suck you off?”
I heated with anger. “Don’t go there, Gwen.”
“Oh, does my brother need to get laid so badly that he’ll do it with a complete stranger he met on a train?”
Exploding with rage, I inhaled through my nose and exhaled loudly from my mouth. “My life is none of your business.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “It is my business if you think I’m going to get you out of the next bad relationship that might cost you your life—or your son’s.”
My muscles tensed. I didn’t need or want to be reminded of Cassandra. “Sarah is nothing like Cassandra,” I said defensively.
My sister huffed. “Please. I spend my life in a courtroom reading people. She’s an irresponsible little shrew who’s after your money.”
“You’re wrong for a change, Gwen,” I barked back at my presumptuous sister. “Sarah has a job and her own apartment, and she’s the least pretentious or material woman I’ve ever met.”
“And she has no problem accepting expensive gifts from you? Do you really think for one minute I believed she bought that Prada dress and those shoes she was wearing last night? It had to be from you or one of her other sugar daddies.”
I was simmering to the point I could actually feel steam rising from my skin and smoke coming out of my nostrils. If she weren’t my sister, I would have told her to get the fuck out of here, but instead I put up with her rant.
“She’s a spoiled, needy little brat who can’t even look after a child.”
“What are you talking about?” It was pointless telling Gwen about how well Ben and Sarah got along.
Gwen flashed a fiendish smile. “Oh, then maybe I should tell you that she just sat there on a chaise lounge sunning herself while your son almost drowned in the pool this afternoon.”
My heart skipped a beat and my stomach twisted. Bile rose in my throat. I suddenly felt sick…like I was going to vomit.
“I don’t believe you.”
Gwen stood, adjusting the belt of her robe. “Be my guest. Ask her. I’m going to call it a night. Tomorrow’s another day, right?”
Wordlessly, I watched her glide out of the kitchen.
As soon as she was out of sight, I did something I’d been wanting to do. I picked up my tumbler and hurled it on the floor, watching it splinter into a million little pieces. Just like my heart.
And then I spun around and threw up in the sink.
Sarah
When I arrived for breakfast in the main house the next morning, Ari, his son, and his sister were already seated around the kitchen island, eating pancakes. Gwen looked up from her New York Times and eyed me coldly. Ari was reading his Wall Street Journal, and Ben was playing a game on his iPad.
I helped myself to some coffee and joined them at the island.
“How did you sleep?” asked Ari, putting down his paper. He looked tired, the usual sparkle in his eyes gone.
Gwen shot me a smirk, clearly pleased that I hadn’t slept with her brother.
“The best I ever have,” I replied, shooting a smirk back at the manipulative Ice Queen to let her k
now I could read her mind.
I took a sip of my steaming coffee and yawned. To be honest, I slept terribly. The bed, with its fluffy down duvet and mountain of pillows, was as delicious as I’d imagined. But while the ocean sang a lullaby with its ebb and flow, I tossed and turned. Ari was a man of contradictions. He was tender and savage. Gentle and rough. Hot and cold. He wanted me; he didn’t. I was tormented by his ambivalence and began to question what this sexy billionaire saw in me. I was a no one. A plain, small-town girl with a messed up life. And though he called me his “beautiful princess,” my beauty probably paled next to the women he was used to fucking as well as to his ex-wife’s. He had said it himself—don’t count on a permanent relationship. There was no way this could work out, and I knew I had to cut it short while I still could. I was not, however, going to let his cunning sister Gwen in on my feelings of self-doubt and dread.
Ari, dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt, rose. I couldn’t take my eyes off his tanned, buff body. The sight of this godlike man who had ravaged me on the beach last night made my stomach flutter and insides ache. It hurt knowing I couldn’t have him.
“Sarah, I have to go back to the city this morning for an emergency business meeting. You’re free to stay here—my mother will be arriving shortly—and Gwen can take you home with Ben later. Or you can go back with me.”
His voice was matter-of-fact, almost cold. While I relished spending more time with Ari’s lovely mother and his delightful son, the thought of spending two hours in a car with his calculating sister was unbearable.
“I’ll go back with you,” I replied, aware of Gwen’s eyes on me.
“Fine. Please pack your bag. We’ll be leaving right after breakfast.”
###♥###
We drove back to the city in Ari’s Bentley in silence, except for the Beethoven CD that played. Appassionata. He was brooding, but I didn’t dare ask him what was on his mind. My own mind was troubled too. How was I going to end it with him? Plus, I was worried about my mother; I was worried about Lauren, and I was worried about Jo-Jo. Fingers crossed Mrs. Blumberg had fed her and left her some water.
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