by Grant, Livia
“Yeah, she ended up hanging up on me again, but I feel like I made a bit of progress. She said to tell you you’re on her shit list, though.”
“I figured. I can handle that.” Shane held his hand up to signal the waiter to bring the check.
“Don’t worry about it. Lunch is on me,” Nolan offered.
“Damn straight, it is.” Covington had the nerve to turn on that grin that was making him millions and had women swooning wherever he went. “I’ll have my lawyers look over the contract. Send over an electronic copy. You’ve got my email?”
“Yeah. I got it from Graves.”
“Cool. Listen, I hate to eat and run, but I have a little someone I’m hoping to be spending my afternoon with…” The heartthrob paused before tacking on, “In my bed.”
Without a backward glance, Covington stood and took off for the exit, leaving Nolan to wait for the waiter to bring the check.
He had to push down the pang of jealousy that Shane’s love life wasn’t as complicated as his. It would be so much easier if he could walk away from Piper… forget about these irrational feelings he had for a woman who had tried to make it clear on many occasions, she wasn’t interested.
Only, it was anything but clear. She was so hot and cold. He’d seen it on Valentine’s night, then again on today’s call. He didn’t know how or why, but Piper was hiding something from him, and he wasn’t going to let her push him away again until he figured out what the hell it was.
Chapter 4
Nalani’s heart was racing a mile a minute. She hadn’t been this nervous at work even on her first day.
She’d arrived at the mansion a couple hours earlier and dug into her cleaning duties. She’d been tempted to switch places with her two employees who came in on weekends to help her keep the expansive property in tip top shape. Like normal, sisters Marian and Kelly were downstairs, cleaning the public areas of the mansion while she focused on the VIP suites—six of which had already been completed without any problems.
She pulled her phone out of her uniform pocket and pulled up her housekeeping app, even though she didn’t need the app to tell her she had only two rooms left to clean. She wasn’t sure which one made her more nervous.
She had zero desire to cross paths with Henry Ainsworth after their disastrous encounter the day before. And as scary as seeing the older man was, seeing Shane Covington again had her even more anxious.
She’d replayed their time together at Black Light the night before, over and over again. If it weren’t for the healing cut on her left palm as physical proof, she’d have thought she’d dreamed the whole encounter. Still, she had somehow convinced herself her memory had to be faulty. There was no way the famous actor had flirted with her… taken care of her injury… given her an orgasm… in public!
She felt the heat of her blush as she remembered the amazing encounter, equally dreading and anticipating seeing him again.
Her app told her Mr. Ainsworth had checked out already. Still, if she hurried, maybe she could get Shane’s room finished before he came back. She’d tried to be inconspicuous as she’d asked the head of security, Miguel, if Mr. Covington was still on the property. Oh sure, she’d assured him it was only so she wouldn’t disturb the guest. Maybe she was just paranoid, but she could have sworn her co-worker had been smiling a knowing smirk as he’d let her know the actor had left the property around eleven that morning and hadn’t returned yet.
She opened the door, sticking her head out to peek up and down the hall to make sure the coast was clear before pushing her cart out and toward the Paris suite. With each step she took, she gave herself a pep talk, determined not to act like a silly fangirl, or worse yet, the virginal innocent he’d accused her of the night before. Before she could chicken out, Nalani reach out and rapped her knuckles on the door to Shane’s suite.
“Housekeeping!”
When there was no answer, conflicting emotions weighed on her—disappointment she wouldn’t get to see his sexy smile again and relief she wouldn’t be able to make a fool of herself in front of the sexiest man on earth.
Nalani leaned in to give her scan to unlock the door. Once she’d opened the entry, she called out one more time, careful not to have a repeat of yesterday with Mr. Ainsworth.
He wasn’t here. It was for the best.
Pushing down her regret at missing him, she turned and pulled her cart into the room. Once the heavy door slammed closed behind her, an odd sense of trespassing came over her. As a housekeeper, she was in other people’s rooms every day, touching their personal belongings. cleaning up the most private of messes.
Today felt different. She wasn’t in just any guest’s room. She was in Shane’s room. The pair of jeans hung over the back of the desk chair had been on his body, touching his most masculine body parts. The empty water bottle had touched his lips… the same lips that had whispered against the shell of her ear the night before.
Her heart raced as she let her eyes fall on the empty bed—the mattress he’d slept on the night before. Had he slept naked? And the sheets… is it possible he’d followed through on his dirty promise while at Black Light?
Unable to resist a moment longer, Nalani inched toward the messed bed. Pillows were piled in the most haphazard way, which was expected for most of their guests. The comforter was half on, half off, the bed, completely normal.
Only when she got next to the mattress did she catch her first peek at the sheets. Her heart lurched, shocked as if she’d just been zapped by a defibrillator.
Impossible.
There had to be a mistake, but even as she thought it, a warm fire kindled in her belly, lighting her up from the inside. Thank goodness he wasn’t here to see the silly grin that had sprung onto her face. She could feel her cheeks burning as she let her imagination run wild, conjuring how magnificent it would have been to watch Shane Covington lying there, naked… grasping his hard cock in his own hand… stroking himself with his eyes closed.
Had he really been thinking of her as he’d shot the spurts of cum onto the sheets? She couldn’t be sure, but she was fairly certain he’d at least been thinking of her while he was scrolling her name in the sticky fluid. She leaned down to touch her name, coming in contact with the dried, crusty deposit, telling her he’d done the deed hours before.
After working at the upscale mansion for over a year, she had thought she’d seen it all, but this was a first. And it was her name… written by the Shane Covington—America’s heartthrob.
Fighting a pang of longing, Nalani leaned down, picking up one of the luxury pillows from near the headboard—the one that still had the slight indent where Shane’s head had rested in slumber.
She pulled the pillow into her arms, holding the cool fabric close to her face, taking a long drag of the masculine scent that was Shane. So many men who partied at Runway reeked of expensive colognes, contaminating the suites with the odor, but not Shane. His scent was clean… virile… sexy as hell.
The sound of the door slamming closed behind her broke her out of her trance.
“Perfect timing. Today really is my lucky day.”
Nalani threw the pillow back to the bed as if it had caught fire and was burning her. Mortified… that was the only word that could possibly describe her present emotion. Caught red handed, standing over his bed, smelling his pillow—she wished the floor would open and swallow her so she wouldn’t have to turn around and look into the man’s eyes.
Too late, she realized by not turning around to greet him meant he’d come to her instead. She felt his arms circling her waist intimately, pulling her back against his hard body as he playfully placed his chin on her right shoulder, peeking down at the bed with her.
“How’d you like my handy artwork?” he teased, hugging her harder, ensuring she wouldn’t be slinking away until he wanted her to.
What was she supposed to say to that question? Since she had no clue, she stayed quiet, trying valiantly to think of something she could say that wo
uldn’t embarrass her further.
“Nice penmanship.”
That wasn’t it! What an idiot! His rolling laughter proved that.
His hands had begun roaming, his right going up to squeeze her breast through her uniform, his left slipping lower, across her tummy, finally cupping her pussy through her clothes as he humped his athletic body against her back. He was strong, holding her tightly from behind as his lips found her ear like the night before.
“You’re gonna have to tell me if I’m reading this situation wrong, Nalani. I’ve thought of almost nothing but you since last night, and believe me, my thoughts are completely X-rated. As much as I’d like to spend the next twenty-four hours in that bed, showing you just how down and dirty I’d love to get with you, I need to ask you what color you are right now.”
Her racing brain fought to make sense of his words. She’d gotten lost in her shock at his comments about wanting her in that bed… his bed… By the time she finished assimilating the final sentence, she fumbled to remember the rules of the complicated game he’d started the night before.
He wasn’t playing fair, surrounding her completely with his larger-than-life presence. Within seconds, she was completely under his spell, wanting nothing more than to be the center of his X-rated fantasies. As afraid as she was of being hurt when he surely dumped her and moved on to his next conquest in a few days, there was almost nothing that would stop her from letting Shane have his way with her. She just hoped the memories she gained with the intimacies would outweigh the heartache after it was over.
“I’m green,” she finally answered softly.
“Good girl. Now, I need a few answers, kitten. Have you ever scened with someone at Black Light?”
“No…”
“That shouldn’t make me happy, but it does. How about being with a dominant? Someone who likes to take charge.”
She had only had a few boyfriends through high school and junior college classes combined, and compared to Shane Covington, they were boys, not men.
“No…”
“My lucky streak continues. I’m gonna have so much damn fun. All you need to do is follow directions. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes…” Apparently, single syllable words were all she could muster.
“That’s sir. When I ask you a question, you should answer with a respectful sir at the end.”
When she hesitated, he squeezed her pussy harder, lifting her whole body off the ground. “Nalani,” he growled in the yummiest tone.
“Sir… yes, sir.”
“Such a good girl. Now… let’s see if I can turn you into my naughty girl as easily.”
Emotions slammed into her like a Mac truck. He’d called her his naughty girl. It was probably just a careless comment, but it triggered a wave of unexpected longing she recognized for the danger it was.
This is just a fun fling for him. Don’t get your heart involved.
She missed his warmth the second he released her, stepping away as he put his hands on her shoulders, turning her, so they were facing each other. He was a full foot taller, so she found it easier to focus on the dark tuft of masculine chest hair showing at the top of his fashionable shirt.
“Eyes.” It was a one-word command.
They were close enough to each other, she had to lean her head back to look up at his tanned face with its scruffy day-old stubble. She didn’t think she could get more excited, but seeing the look of unadulterated hunger in Shane’s slate-blue eyes made her core ignite.
They were close enough to reach out and touch each other. She longed to run her hands through his thick hair or caress those muscular arms that had held her tight, yet she somehow understood Shane was in charge, which meant she was supposed to let him lead.
“I need you naked.” When she didn’t move, he added, “Like now.”
She wanted to protest. Why wasn’t he getting undressed too? And why couldn’t he just take her clothes off her?
“I thought….” She let her voice trail off when she saw the disapproving scowl that brought out small lines around his sexy eyes.
“You thought what?” he asked sternly, just a hint of a smirk lightening his words.
She wished she’d kept her mouth shut. She’d been here with him for five minutes, and she’d already made him laugh and now, screwed up.
“Nothing…” she said quietly, although a flare of modesty kept her grounded—immobile.
“Do I need to undress you? I can do that, but it will come with a price.” His smirk had grown.
What game was he playing? Whatever it was, she didn’t feel like she understood the rules.
“What kind of price?” she asked, not sure if she really wanted to know.
“For starters, naughty girls who don’t follow directions need discipline. I feel obliged to warn you, disciplining you would bring me great pleasure. I’m trying my best to go slow with you because I know you’re a newbie to the lifestyle, but I fucking love your inexperience.”
“You do?” Her voice squeaked.
“Don’t act so surprised. You have to know how fucking gorgeous you are.”
Nalani scoffed out loud. Oh, she knew she wasn’t ugly, but there was a big difference between her girl-next-door look and being someone worthy to be on Shane Covington’s arm. Still, she could feel her cheeks turning pink from his heated glare and threats of discipline.
Discipline.
Definitely not a four-letter word, but it might as well be. It evoked the same kind of visceral response and had her imagination running wild, fueled by the power exchange scenes she’d witnessed at Black Light. She was a complete novice in practice, but she’d spent more hours than she’d like to admit in her bed with her vibrator, reliving some of the shocking things she’d seen in the last year.
Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine being a participant… and with a man like Shane Covington, no less.
Their stare-down continued until she felt his fingers brushing her chest as he found the tab of her uniform’s long zipper and slowly started to pull it toward the carpet, maintaining their eye connection until she felt him reach the end of the zipper.
She held her breath, afraid to move for fear she’d wake up and realize it was all just a dream.
His hand returned to her shoulders, grabbing the fabric of her boring uniform, lifting it up and out until she felt cool air-conditioning wash over her bared flesh. Only when she felt the cotton brushing down her arms, pooling at her feet, did her body visibly shiver.
“You cold, kitten?”
There it was again. She’d had one old boyfriend who had liked to call her honey and another who’d insisted on referring to her as his sweetie. She’d hated both of them because she had always had a sneaking suspicion they’d used the terms of endearment so they wouldn’t have to pronounce her name—the hazard of switching partners like their clothes.
But she loved the way Shane looked when he called her kitten—or even more importantly—his naughty girl, even though she hadn’t the slightest idea of exactly what she’d have to do to really earn that title.
The broad grin that lit up his face should be outlawed.
“I’m not sure what you’re thinking about, but keep it up. You’re blushing beautifully.”
Feeling like she’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar, she panicked, lifting her arms across her chest to hide her body from him.
Shane tsked as he reached out to grab her wrists, pulling her arms apart to expose her body to him again. He raked his gaze down, taking his time as he visually inspected her simple black bra and panties she’d bought online. She considered it a victory today was the one day of the last week where her underwear actually matched.
“So beautiful… so sexy.” He took the time to place her hands at her sides and added, “Don’t move these.”
Her “Yes, sir” surprised her even more than him.
He started at her shoulders, lightly dragging his fingers across her flesh, through the smal
l rounded valley of her breasts, spilling above her size-C cups. She couldn’t hold in her giggle when his hands roamed down her sides, finding her ticklish spots.
They stood in silence, her watching his face as she felt his flat palms raking over her flat tummy, outward, light caresses turning into tight grips on her hips.
“Fucking perfect…” His words were soft—reverent.
His hands were suddenly anything but soft as he thrust his fingers into the waistband of her bikini panties, almost ripping them from her body as he yanked them down to pool with her forgotten uniform.
She panicked “I still have my… I mean, it’s almost over, but I still…”
“I told you last night that doesn’t matter. I have plenty of other dirty ideas for this body that don’t include your pussy.”
“You do?” she asked incredulously, unable to imagine how they’d possibly proceed, yet pretty sure she’d say yes to anything if it kept that feral look on his sexy face.
“Hell, yes. For starters, let’s get this bra off so we can get started on your first discipline session.”
“You were serious about that?” she blurted.
“Oh, Nalani, you have no idea just how serious I am.”
* * *
Truer words had never been spoken. How long had it been since he’d scened with a real submissive? Not a socialite pretending to be obedient just to get in his bed, see their picture plastered in the tabloids, or hopefully, gain access to his bank account. After several back-to-back burns in the romance department, he’d been on a self-imposed hiatus.
He hadn’t really recognized he’d been waiting, but as he reached to cup the perky breasts of the woman in front of him, a few things clicked into place. Like how he’d been waiting to find a real submissive to play with. And not just any submissive, but his flavor of choice—reluctant.
The longer he’d been part of the underground BDSM scene, the more he’d come to acknowledge dominating a submissive was a turn-on for all dominants, but exercising control over an outwardly good-girl sub who secretly craved being forced to do the dirtiest of things their bodies and minds could conceive—that was Shane’s jam.