“It’s gotten out of hand.”
“Why?”
Jack sighed and rubbed the heel of his palm over his forehead. “She’s starting to have feelings for me.”
“She said that?”
“No, but I can tell.”
“And why is that the worst thing in the world?”
“Do I really have to explain this again?”
“Don’t use that Socratic method on me, Jack. I’ve known you too long,” Patrick said. “Answer the question.”
He braced his hands on his hips. “Because she’s twenty-eight years old. You know how it looks. It could harm both our reputations.”
“Oh please. None of those stuffy Harvard directors give a crap what you do as long as they churn out more lawyers than Yale does. And I sincerely doubt Lilly’s boss gives a shit who she fucks.”
It certainly wouldn’t have been the first time someone her age dated a much older man. But he wouldn’t be dating her. He’d be owning her.
The idea of what their families would think if they found out was enough to pummel him with nausea.
“You might be right, but Nick would care, and so would Brady.” Jack winced. “Josh would hate me.”
“It would take some getting used to, but I sincerely doubt he’d hate you.”
“Forgive me if I’m not as confident,” Jack snapped. “I can barely get him to return my calls as it is, let alone come out here for a visit.”
Patrick mimicked placing his hand on an imaginary Bible. “I reaffirm my earlier statement, Counselor. You and Lilly are consenting adults. You’re allowed to do whatever you want.”
“Consent or not, this wasn’t what we arranged. She wasn’t supposed to develop feelings for me. Not when—”
Jack winced at the ceiling. If there was any chance Eve was watching over him, she must have hated how far he’d strayed from what she asked.
“Not when I have a promise to keep.” Jack retreated to the bench and sank down onto it. “This was supposed to be strictly play. I made that clear to Lilly. I can’t give her anything more than that.”
“All right. Then end it.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
He shrugged and offered Jack a bitter smile. “You’ve said all the reasons why it’ll never work, so break it off.”
Jack shook his head. All the reasons notwithstanding, he couldn’t just walk away now. She was still getting over her past and trying to understand her submissive nature. She wasn’t ready to be on her own yet.
“I can’t. She needs me.”
“Bullshit.” Patrick poked a finger at Jack’s chest. “You need her.”
He was about to disagree when someone pulled back the court’s flap entrance.
“The competition is here,” Brady called out. Nick walked in after him.
Shit, he’d forgotten those two were joining him and Patrick today. What perfect fucking timing. Jack rifled through his bag, taking longer than necessary to get out his racket, trying to compose himself.
“Competition?” Patrick asked, his causal tone returning. “Forgive me if I’m not terribly concerned.”
Brady snorted. “That’s because you have such an unfair advantage. Don’t you guys get a senior citizen handicap or something?”
“Funny,” Patrick replied. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
They set themselves up in doubles, and Jack played harder than usual, his serves slicing through the air, his groundstrokes vicious. He couldn’t change things, couldn’t fix what was happening with Lilly, but he could take it out on the court until his hands went numb. When they reached match point, Jack slammed his racket against the ball with a vengeance, winning the set.
“You didn’t even give us a chance,” Nick complained.
Patrick grinned. “You have rackets, don’t you? We were just waiting around to see if you were going to score.”
“That’s what she said.” Brady chuckled. “Hey, speaking of scoring, will there be any single guys at your party?”
Nick raised an eyebrow. “Is there something you’re not telling us? Or Samantha?”
“Not for me, asshat. For Lilly. Haven’t you been saying you wanted her to meet someone?”
Jack’s pulse hammered in his throat.
“Yeah, I have.” Nick glanced at Patrick. “You know anyone?”
Patrick threw Jack a fleeting look. “I wasn’t sure I was inviting Lilly. I thought I was throwing a grown-ups only party.”
“She’s not that young,” Nick replied. “She can hold her own. And it might cheer her up. She’s been so down lately. She mentioned missing our dad a while back, but I think there’s more to it than that. She’s lonely.”
She’s not lonely. She’s mine.
Bristling over feelings of ownership he had no right to, Jack hid his face by rummaging through his bag for a drink. The thought of Lilly talking to someone else made him see red, but he couldn’t expect her to ignore the attentions of other men forever. Not when he couldn’t offer her anything permanent.
Patrick looked briefly at Jack again, then back at Nick. “I’m sure I must know some single guys. I’ll ask around. And speaking of the party, I assume you and Gabe both have tuxedos?”
“It’s black tie?”
“Patrick’s parties always are,” Brady said. “It’s like being in a Bond film.”
“Because he’s such an international man of mystery?”
Patrick laughed. “Couldn’t be further from it, my friend. I just look damn good in a tux.” Jack took a long sip from his water bottle as Patrick tossed a ball into the air and grinned. “As long as we’re inviting Lilly, let’s make sure Cassie joins us too. She’s such a little spitfire.”
Nick pointed a finger at him. “You are not sleeping with Cassie.”
“Who said anything about sleeping?”
Brady shook his head. “Never gonna happen, my man. The girl hates you.”
“I like a challenge.”
“Well, make sure you invite a bunch of other single ladies as well. We’re looking for a date for Jack too, right?”
Jack lowered his water and stared hard at Patrick, Brady scheming by his side.
“We are,” he said. “I’ll see what I can do.”
The sun was setting when Lilly got off the T in Cambridge on Friday night. She’d skipped the pub that night, too exhausted to even blow off steam. It had been a tense week, with the clock running out on the Giordano trial date and nothing to back Simon’s claim.
But she had another, more private reason for not wanting to go out: it was her first full weekend with Jack.
She hiked her overnight bag on her shoulder. Rumbles meowed from his case, and she had to take a break on the corner to shift her loads around. Jack wanted to pick her up, but she’d said no. Getting to his place on her own let her retain one last bit of independence before giving herself to him, and she needed the time to clear her head. It was a nice evening anyway, warm enough that she could keep her jacket open as she walked. Little patches of green were growing bolder, spokes of grass forcing up through the melting snow. Winter was finally over and it felt like a new beginning.
She was sure something new had blossomed between her and Jack last weekend as well.
He opened the door with a smile when she arrived, but there was a strain in his eyes, a tension to the line of his jaw. Before she could ask him about it, it disappeared.
“Hi.” He brushed a kiss to her cheek as he closed the door. “I put a litter box in the laundry room. There’s food and water there too.”
Lilly set Rumbles’s case on the floor. The second she unzipped it, he jumped out and scampered away.
“He’ll find something to hide under before venturing out to explore,” she explained.
“That’s fine.” Jack moved in behind her. His
fingers grazed her neck, sending shivers in every direction. “We have our own exploring to do.”
She leaned back against him, her head lolling to the side as his lips found her throat. “Are we—” she hissed when his teeth grazed her skin, “—exploring now?”
She didn’t know how soon play started or what the new rules were. She’d hoped he’d make everything clear before their roles shifted, but it was hard to care about semantics when he was touching her like this.
“In a manner of speaking.” He kissed her neck. “First, I want to show you where you’ll be sleeping.”
He led her up the first set of stairs, past the doorway to his bedroom and up another flight to the third floor landing. They stopped at the attic study she’d never been in before.
“Josh’s room,” she confirmed.
Jack nodded and Lilly walked inside, looking around. There was a twin-size bed in one corner, a desk with a chair in the other, and a nightstand and a small dresser in between. Two windows revealed a view of Cambridge, sparkling and lit for the night.
She turned back to face him. “It’s nice. I like it.”
“Good. This floor is your space to do with as you please. You should feel free to be yourself when you’re up here. The same is true for the first floor.”
“And when we’re in the basement?”
He treaded closer. “When we’re in the basement, you’re mine.”
Lilly’s heart raced, her skin prickling. “How soon do I get to be yours?”
He leaned in and teased her with an almost-kiss, his breath warm and meshing with hers. “You have five minutes to get ready before I chase you down there.”
She shuddered. “I’ll be ready in three, Sir.”
Lilly hurried downstairs, her hands shaking with anticipation when she opened the playroom door. She pulled off her clothes, remembering when she’d feared what lay within this room. Now she felt strong here, eager to be hunted and taken. She knelt at her spot, her arms crossed behind her back. When Jack walked in, he stood in front of her and touched her throat. His fingertips drew a line where a collar would sit.
“Look at me.”
She obeyed. He’d stripped, and she took in the flexing muscles of his forearm, the notches in his shoulders, the square set of his jaw. Not to mention every rippling line of strength and masculine prowess below.
“Are you ready to play, little girl?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Who do you belong to?”
His expression shifted, that flicker of darkness in his eyes again. She didn’t understand it, and a deep longing clawed at her. If he was doubting that she was his, there was an easy fix for that. She’d be proud to wear a collar for him—something tactile that would prove without a doubt that she belonged to him.
“I’m yours, Sir.”
“What are your safewords?”
“Red, yellow and green.”
Jack pulled her to her feet and kissed her. He was hungry tonight. She felt it in his grip as he backed her up to the wall. There was no preamble when his fingers found her clit, quickly rubbing her into an inferno of pleasure.
“You’re only allowed to come once tonight. It can be now, like this, or after I’m through with you. You choose.”
She gritted her teeth, fighting back her release. “After, Sir.”
Jack grabbed her legs and lifted her with ease, hooking her knees over his hips as he pushed into her waiting body. He groaned in pleasure, and Lilly closed her eyes in bliss as he found his own inside her.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Good morning, beautiful.”
Lilly heard Jack’s voice before she reached the first floor. Rubbing her eyes, she padded into the kitchen. Jack was sitting at the island, dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans. His hair was damp, his face clean-shaven.
Dayum.
She’d never been a morning person, but desire flared as Jack smiled at her over the newspaper in his hands, glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. She’d never known he wore them before.
“Cute pajamas,” he said, surveying her flannel pants and tank top.
“Nice glasses. Very sexy.”
Jack laughed softly but then pulled them from his face. “Did you sleep well?”
“I passed out as soon as I hit the bed. Somebody exhausted me.”
He grinned wider, his gaze lingering. “I’ll get you some coffee. Meanwhile, read this. Tell me if there’s anything you’re not comfortable with or want to add.”
Jack stood and pushed a few pieces of paper toward her. Lilly sat and started to read.
It was their new contract.
She glanced up to watch him pour her coffee, momentarily distracted by the way the muscles in his torso stood out in stark relief against the confines of his T-shirt.
“The term is for six months?” she asked.
“Yes. We can reevaluate then and see where we are.”
As Jack handed her a steaming mug, she wondered where they’d be six months from now. She smiled at the thought of mornings like this in his kitchen. She could cook for him. Maybe they’d go away somewhere together, and he’d show her sights she’d never seen.
“That works.” She flipped to the next page. It was a new addendum stating that the contract could be broken at any time by either participant, terminating their agreement. There were places for the signatures at the bottom.
“And this?” she asked, holding the page up.
“It’s standard. In case anyone changes their minds.”
She certainly wouldn’t be changing hers. Lilly continued to read, catching the things that read differently from the last contract.
“I’ll be cleaning the playroom from now on?”
“Yes.” He set his coffee on the island and crossed his arms. “It didn’t seem fair to ask that of you when you were only here for a few hours. But now it’s your responsibility, since you’ll have plenty of time.”
His smile sparked a hot feeling in her belly that traveled down between her thighs. Cleaning the playroom would give her a sense of belonging. Ownership. In a way, it was as if it was her playroom now too.
Was Jack hers, as well?
She frowned at the thought but shook it off when he caught her expression, masking it by reading a section aloud.
“‘Play will commence, and may continue or end at the Dominant’s discretion, from six p.m. on Fridays until three p.m. on Sundays. Time will be allotted for relaxation and separation, and as such should be discussed between Dominant and submissive in an open manner.’” Lilly looked up. “What does that mean?”
“What do you think it means?”
She glared at him, then quickly washed the expression from her face, realizing she was being bratty. But they were on the first floor. She could speak freely here.
“It means this is very vague,” she said. “Sir.”
Jack grinned widely and braced his palms on the counter. “It means I want to leave the option open for play at any and all times, but you should feel comfortable telling me when you’re too tired or need some space. I want the freedom to do the same. You’ll need time to work or rest, and so will I. We’re still human, after all.”
A swell of gratitude made her next inhale hard to achieve. Even while creating an arrangement that would take away her control, he was reminding her that she still had choices. That he cared how she felt.
“Can I have a pen?”
Jack opened a drawer and handed her one. She signed and dated it, then pushed it back across the counter. He added his name and put it aside.
“I’ll give you a copy later.”
He came around the island and picked up a digital timer, setting it for sixty minutes.
“Today we are going to play a little game. When you hear this go off, I expect you to go immediately to the playroom
and undress. You’ll do whatever I want, for however long I want, but you’re not allowed to come until I say so. You may safeword if it gets to be too much.”
Lilly smiled, enjoying the way he tested her. She had more mettle than he realized.
“That sounds easy enough.”
“You say that now.” He set the timer in front of her. “Eat something. I’ll see you in an hour.”
Not finding much of the breakfast variety to work with in his fridge, or anything else for that matter, Lilly made herself some toast, then gobbled down one of the protein bars she’d thrown in her bag. She was showered and ready by the time the first alarm went off. She waited in the playroom and when Jack crossed to her, he unzipped his pants and stroked his length inches from her lips. She leaned toward his cock, ravenous with the need to serve him, and surrendered as he took her mouth, letting him draw pleasure from her body with as much power and speed as he desired. When he spilled down her throat, she waited for her reward, but all he did was kiss her and say he’d see her the next hour.
The second time the timer beeped, Jack placed her at the edge of the bed and relaxed into the armchair. “Touch yourself.”
Sensing he wanted a show, Lilly spread her legs and traced circles over her wet flesh. He never took his eyes off her, which was ridiculously arousing. When her orgasm crested she started to give in, but Jack stopped her.
“Close your legs.” He stood, brought her finger to his mouth and licked the moisture off. The only other touch she received was a patronizing pat on the head.
“Be good now,” he said, and left the room.
Lilly glowered at his retreating form.
The torture continued throughout the day. Every time he groaned through his release and brought her to the brink, he left her wanting. At three in the afternoon, he folded her face down on the edge of the bed and fucked her hard enough to make her scream, then turned her over and leisurely played with her clit. Her eyes started to close, relief finally in her grasp until he landed two sharp slaps to her pussy. Lilly grunted, the sensation an electric shock to her system, but the pain left an echo of pleasure that ramped her need up several more notches.
His Contract: Legally Bound, Book 1 Page 20