His eyes flicked down to her thighs. They were so wet. His cock hardened even more. She wanted this, she got so turned on from him, and that alone drove him wild with need.
He brushed the whip across her stomach again, watching her squirm underneath his touch. Her nipples were so hard, they were begging for his lips. But he held off. The more anticipation he built up inside her, the harder she would come against him when he filled her with his cock.
“Jace,” she moaned as she tried to arch her back. Her bonds held her tight in place, firmly attached to the leather.
Lust roaring inside him, he pressed the whip between her thighs again and rubbed the sharp material against her pussy. She writhed and twisted, begging to be let go. He pulled back the whip and cracked it against her smooth skin. Carrie’s eyes rolled back in her head, and she sagged against the bonds.
Jace moved in close and dropped the whip to the ground. He couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He needed to be inside Carrie, right then and there. He needed to feel her wet pussy around his cock, feel her shudder as her orgasm poured through her. She was his, and he needed to make his claim on her right then.
Jace thrusted his cock inside her, her delicious wetness surrounding his length. God, she felt so good. No woman had ever felt like this. She was perfectly made for him, her body responding to his every need. Jace began to pump into her, pressing his body against hers and dragging his tongue along her ear.
Carrie shivered underneath him, and he thrusted harder, the tempo of his need taking over his mind. Nothing else in the world existed but Carrie Simmons. Her hot breath on his cheek. Her perfectly formed breasts pressing into his chest. Her tight pussy around his cock. He could barely hold on, his need building up inside him to the brink of release.
Carrie cried out, and her body began to shudder. Satisfaction poured through Jace as she came hard around his cock. He let his own willpower crumble, grunting as he emptied his seed inside her. The moment of pleasure seemed to stretch out for hours, shuddering through both of them until they were spent.
When they were finally finished, Jace gently unhooked Carrie from her straps and lifted her into his arms. She was exhausted, and so was he. Her head dropped against his shoulder, and he carried her from the room, kicking open the door and striding down the hall to the master bedroom.
Sometime in the night, Jace awoke with Carrie in his arms. The light of the moon shone through the large windows overlooking the waves lapping against the sandy shore. Jace gazed down at her perfect face. She looked so content like this, curled up on his chest with her hand resting on his abs.
His heart squeezed, a sensation that felt almost foreign to him. He never wanted this to change. He never wanted Carrie to not be here in his bed. He needed to be the only man she ever knew, but he wasn’t sure how he could give that to her without losing himself. Jace knew what she wanted, and Carrie knew what he wanted. Why did they have to be so at odds?
Jace had objected to the idea of marriage for years. It wasn’t in him, making a permanent commitment. It gave away too much control. It meant giving someone the capability of destroying him if she decided she wanted to leave. But, Jace thought, Carrie could certainly destroy him now if she decided to call it quits. She already had a hold over him, marriage or not.
Carrie stirred, murmuring as her eyelids fluttered open. Sleepily, she peered up at him, a smile on her face and in her eyes. “What are you doing awake?”
“The waves woke me,” he said, stroking her hair. “Don’t let me disturb you.”
She sat up on her elbow and gazed down at him. “You look thoughtful.”
“I’ve just been thinking about us.” Jace gave her a smile. “About that contract I asked you to sign.”
Carrie’s face clouded over and she sighed. “Not this again, Jace. You know how I feel about it.”
“And there’s nothing I can say to change your mind?” If Carrie signed the contract he had presented her, that would solve most of their problems. She would be his, and they could set aside the conversation of marriage for some other time. A time very far away from that moment. But Jace knew deep down one important flaw in his plan. Carrie would never sign his contract.
“Think about it this way. Would you sign it, Jace?”
“Of course not.” He rubbed his arms against her skin and tried to bring her back to his chest, but she shook her head. “I’m not the submissive in the relationship.”
“We’ve been over this a hundred times,” Carrie said, frowning. “I’m submissive to you in the bedroom. Not in the rest of my life. If you want the contract to specify sexual things only, then fine. I’ll sign that.”
Jace sighed and closed his eyes. “That’s not why I drew it up, and you know it.”
“Then, I’m not signing it.” Carrie’s voice was firm, but she settled back into the crook of his arm. “I don’t want to be your slave, Jace. We’re equals. Just because I like to submit to you in bed doesn’t mean I want to submit to you in everything.”
Jace wrapped his arms around her and squeezed, but he couldn’t bear much more than that. Only hours earlier, he’d felt so in control with Carrie strapped to the wall. But his perfectly constructed life was crumbling all around him again. The only way to get some of that back was if Carrie agreed to sign, and she was never going to do that.
Carrie didn’t want what Jace could give her. She wanted more. But he couldn’t bring himself to let her go.
The morning light spilled through the large windows, and Carrie sat up in the bed. She’d had a fitful night of sleep after Jace had brought up the contract again, and she needed to get outside and clear her head. The morning sun was sparkling on the ocean just outside, tempting her toward the beach. Quietly, Carrie eased out of bed and got dressed.
She crept down the stairs and found the back door, walking out onto the sandy beach. It was cold and brisk, and a sharp wind blew in from the water. But it was exactly what Carrie needed. The cold air felt refreshing on her hot skin, and the wind blew through her clouded mind. Carrie walked down to the edge of the waves and stared out at the expanse of water that stretched to the horizon, shivering in the cold.
This contract thing was becoming a serious issue between them. Jace couldn’t let it go, and Carrie couldn’t sign. Every time she thought they were past it, he would just bring it up again, hoping for a way to talk her into it. And if he couldn’t let it go now, would he ever be able to drop it?
Would he hold it against her if she continued to refuse?
Carrie tried to push down the pain, but it came roaring to the surface. After everything they’d been through, this seemed like it might be the thing to tear them apart once and for all. Not the murder investigation, not the paparazzi, not their parents. It would be the fact that Carrie couldn’t be what Jace needed her to be. He wanted control in every aspect of his life, especially in regard to Carrie, but Carrie couldn’t give up her control anymore than she could give up the air she breathed.
She wouldn’t be dependent on a man. She wouldn’t let him control her every choice in life. Carrie’s independence had always proved her strength in the past, but it was turning out to be the sword that might slice her away from the other half of her heart.
Carrie shivered and closed her eyes, breathing in the salty ocean air. The two of them had come here to run away from their problems back in the city, but in reality, their problems had only followed them every step of the way. The paparazzi might not be lurking around the corner, but they might as well have been. Problems didn’t go on pause just because you were a hundred miles from home.
“Carrie?” Jace called out from behind her. She whirled to see him walking down the beach, his open shirt flapping in the wind. A confused frown pulled down his lips, and it made her heart hurt. She wished she could erase it from his face, but she didn’t know how. “What are you doing out here? I woke up and you were gone.”
She hugged her thick sweater around her body and stepped in close when he w
rapped his arm around her shoulder. “Just wanted to get some fresh air. Clear my thoughts.”
Jace turned her shoulders to face him and began rubbing his hands up and down her chilly arms. “This is about our conversation last night, I’m guessing.”
“A little.” Carrie gazed up at him. He was so handsome like this, his dark hair tousled by the wind. The cool air had reddened his cheeks, etching his chiseled features even more. And his abs…the sunlight highlighted every sleek plane of his chest. He was perfect, and he was hers, and she would do whatever it took to hold onto him.
Except sign that damn contract.
“Listen,” he said. “Let’s go inside and have a nice breakfast. We should enjoy our time here together and not argue about contracts or who is going to leave who. Right now, we need to stick together. It’s the world against us, remember?”
Carrie couldn’t help but smile at that. Despite his insistence to keep her at arm’s length emotionally, Jace was romantic when he wasn’t thinking about how he couldn’t be.
“I love you,” she said as her hair whipped around her face.
Jace smiled and pulled her close. “You’re the only woman I have loved or will ever love, Carrie Simmons.”
The next morning, Jace woke up with Carrie wrapped around him again. Her arms were draped across his chest, and she was squeezing him tight even in her sleep. They’d had a perfect day in The Hamptons. He’d shown her the sauna and the hot tub, and they’d made love over and over as the waves crashed on the shore outside the windows.
Looking at her now, Jace realized he no longer wanted her to sign his contract. It wasn’t what she wanted, and he couldn’t let her do something just to keep him happy. For the first time in his life, someone was far more important to him than Jace Holt. Her needs came first, and if she didn’t want to sign, then he would no longer press the issue.
She was strong and independent, and Jace had to admit that her fiery personality was one of the things he loved most about her. He would never want Carrie to change an important part of herself just for him. And she was right. Even though she loved bondage in the bedroom, Carrie Simmons was not submissive in daily life. It just wasn’t her.
Jace sighed and shook his head. He couldn’t believe how this woman had gotten under his skin. It had only taken one full day with her to change his mind. She’d broken down his barriers and crept into his heart. If he spent even more time with her, what other walls would she tear down?
Carrie yawned and looked up at him with a smile, her hair splayed across his chest. “Morning handsome.”
“Morning beautiful,” he said.
“What’s wrong?” Her face clouded over with worry. “You look thoughtful again. Please don’t tell me you’re thinking about the contract.”
“I am.” He brushed her hair away from her face and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “But not in the way you think.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I’ve decided to take the contract off the table,” he said. “I won’t ask you to sign it again.”
“Jace,” Carrie said, pressing her hand against his heart. “I know it’s important to you. Even though I don’t want to sign it, I don’t want you to change just for me.”
“It just means I have to trust you.” He wrapped his hand around her chin and rubbed his thumb against her cheek. “And I do.”
“Oh, Jace.” Carrie rolled on top of him, pressing her delicious naked body against his. He ran his fingers up the length of her, feeling her warm soft skin. His cock hardened as her lips ran along his neck. God, he wanted her.
He reached his arms across her back and wrapped his hands around her ass. She gasped, opening her thighs until she straddled him. His cock slipped inside her. She was already soaking wet, and he groaned at how tight she felt around his dick.
Carrie pressed her fingernails into his chest, rocking against him. Her breasts were only inches from his mouth, and he grasped her nipples between his lips. She shuddered as he began to tease her with his tongue, and she arched her back with desire.
Her pace began to quicken, and she leaned back, giving him the perfect view of her gorgeous curves. She bounced on his cock, her breasts heaving with each frantic thrust. Her skin shone with sweat, and her pussy got hot. Jace grabbed her thighs and jerked her body harder and harder against his dick, fucking her just as hard as she fucked him.
Moments later, they came in unison, Carrie screaming out his name. Panting, she dropped onto his chest, her sexy thighs still wrapped around him, her hard nipples pressed into his skin. His cock twitched. He’d only just came, but he wanted her again already. They stayed there like that for what felt like hours before Carrie began to stir.
“Jace,” she said. “I think we should go back to Manhattan today.”
He rubbed his fingers along her back, weighing her words before he spoke. Carrie was probably right. They’d run away from their problems, and as tempting as it was to stay hidden in The Hamptons, they would have to return to the city at some point. He just wished it wasn’t so soon.
“You sure you’re ready to go back already?” Jace asked. “We can stay here for as long as you like, you know. There’s no rush.”
“I don’t think we should hide anymore,” she said with a sigh. “Don’t get me wrong. I want to stay, but none of our problems are just going to go away. We need to face what’s happened.”
“Okay, we’ll go back today if that’s what you want,” Jace said, trailing his finger down her thigh. Her wet pussy still rubbed against his dick, and he needed to fuck her again before the feel of her perfect body drove him wild. “But first…I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for round two.”
The helicopter hovered over the top of Jace’s hotel, slowly easing down onto the tarmac. Carrie’s heart thumped hard as Jace opened the door and grabbed their bags. Even though it had been her idea to come back to the city, she wasn’t looking forward to what they might face now that they were there.
Jace held out a hand and helped her down from the helicopter. Overhead, the blades chopped the air, throwing her hair up in a massive swirl of strands. As they moved across the rooftop, the door to the hotel slammed open before they could reach it. Dozens of armed police officers spilled from within, their guns raised high. And they were pointing them right at Carrie and Jace.
Frozen, Carrie stared at the cops, her heart thundering loud in her ears. She didn’t understand what was going on. Had the cops found something else on Jace? Why had they been waiting for them on the rooftop of The Grand Rizzato like this?
“Stop!” one of the cops moved forward, gun pointed steadily at Jace.
Shaking his head, Jace lifted his hands. His voice bellowed across the rooftop, steady and strong, a direct contrast to how Carrie felt inside. “Tell me the meaning of this.”
“You skipped town, breaking the conditions of your bail,” the cop said. “We’re going to have to take you in.”
“You must be mistaken.” Jace frowned, glancing once at Carrie. “My father took care of all this.”
“Your father is the one who alerted us of the situation.” The cop lowered his weapon and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. “Now turn around and put your hands behind your back.”
In horror, Carrie watched as the cop handcuffed Jace and carted him toward the door leading down into the hotel. She stepped forward, her whole body shaking. “Stop. You can’t do this.”
“Yes, ma’am, we can,” another cop said as Jace disappeared out of sight, surrounded by a cluster of armed men. “We could arrest you, too, for aiding and abetting, you know. But I won’t unless you kick up a fuss.”
All the blood drained from Carrie’s face. She’d had no idea something like this could happen. Jace had said his father had taken care of everything, and maybe he had. But after their argument the other night, he must have withdrawn every support from his so-called son.
Leaving the city had just made everything a hundred times worse.
A knock sounded on the penthouse door. Carrie sat on the couch, her arms wrapped around her knees while she stared blankly at the fireplace. Coco was curled up next to her, purring happily, completely oblivious to the fact Carrie’s life had gone to hell in a hand basket.
She eased off the couch and winced. Her whole body felt sore from the stress of the day, and it felt like a strain to even make it over to the door and pull it open. Sarah stood in the hallway, a bottle of red in one hand and a tub of ice cream in the other.
“I thought you could use some cheering up,” her friend said, taking in Carrie’s bloodshot eyes and trembling hands. Carrie had gone to Central Booking to try to bail Jace out again, but the NYPD had been firm. Since he’d skipped town on his first bail, he wouldn’t get another. He was stuck in there until his trial, and since she’d been fired from the firm, there was nothing Carrie could do but wait.
“Did you find anything?” Carrie asked as she ushered her friend over to the couch.
Sarah’s lips went thin as she uncorked the wine bottle with a loud pop. “Nothing very useful about Dominique. I got his address, but he’d cleared out of there like you thought. I managed to talk one of my contacts at the station into tracking his credit cards, but if he’s as slippery as you think, I doubt much will turn up.”
Disappointment settled onto Carrie’s already weary bones. She took the glass from Sarah and tipped the sharp liquid down her throat in one large gulp. When she was done, she held out the glass and nodded at the bottle. Sarah raised her eyebrows, but she didn’t argue, pouring more wine for them both.
“I think I might need this as much as you do,” Sarah said with a bitter laugh, swirling the red liquid in her glass. “Things between me and Rick have officially imploded.”
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