by Sienna Snow
“Of course it does,” he hissed. “Anything that happens to you affects me. When will you understand?”
Before I could respond, the wait staff served our first course.
Dinner proceeded in a casual, not quite relaxed manner. Max and I continued ignoring each other, and he occupied his time discussing events with the group. I kept my mouth shut, since it had been what got me into this situation in the first place.
“A penny for your thoughts,” Ian asked, pulling me from my melancholy.
“Oh, I was just enjoying your debate with Lex about European and American politics. It’s fascinating to hear your take on the state of the economy.”
“Since my side job is a seat in the House of Lords, I’d say it’s my duty to stay abreast of the comings and goings in the world. A political sparring match with Lex keeps me on my toes.”
“Touché, Lord St. James,” I replied with a smile.
“So are you ready for the UN Women’s Conference this week and the launch of your education foundation? Milla mentioned that you’ve spent the majority of your free time with last-minute preparations.”
I took a sip of my wine. “Almost. Only because Lex and Mil have taken a lot of the grunt work off my shoulders. Now all I have to do is write and practice my speech.”
“Is it true that the three of you thought of the charity while at MIT?”
“Somewhat,” Milla interjected. “The original idea started after we attended a speech by the then First Lady at the UN Women’s Conference.” She pointed toward me. “But Ms. Overachiever decided to start a small education co-op after meeting this boy in Cape Town who was passionate about the same issues.”
What was she doing? She mentioned that on purpose. I leered in Milla’s direction and kept quiet. She shrugged her shoulders and smiled.
“You don’t seem like a lady who’s swayed easily.”
If Ian only knew. I sensed Max watching me, but I refused to look at him.
“Exactly how old is your original co-op?” Max asked, startling me into glancing his way.
“A little under five years,” I answered.
I finished my glass and allowed the smooth merlot to numb my senses. Maybe a little more wine would help this dinner progress faster. I gestured for a refill, and immediately the server obliged.
“I can’t wait to see Arya onstage in a few days.” Milla bubbled with excitement. “Too bad you won’t be there, Carmen. We could make it a fun girls’ weekend in Miami.”
“That’s all I need—a group of grown women reliving their college days,” Lex mumbled, as Ian laughed.
“I wish I could, but my grumpy brother insists I hold down the fort while he’s in Japan negotiating some contracts.”
What? This was news to me. What happened to spending every weekend with him?
“When will you be back?” Lex asked.
“In a week, maybe two.” He sipped his wine and regarded me with cool apathy.
“You’re not going to be at the conference?” I couldn’t disguise the surprise in my voice. “I thought you were going to attend the Carson Ball.”
I hadn’t planned on going to the invitation-only event, even with Milla nagging me that mingling with the country’s business elite would help with future projects. But, when Max had suggested we go together as friends, I agreed to be his date. Now, I’d have to go alone.
“Since it’s necessary for company purposes to attend, I’ll fly in for the ball but will leave immediately after. I’m not needed for anything else.”
“Oh.”
“Disappointed?”
I sensed a headache coming on and pinched the bridge of my nose.
Max leaned toward me. “Put down the wine. You’ve had at least three glasses and if you include the cocktail Carmen gave you earlier, you are way past your limit. Drink some water,” he whispered.
I set my wine down and picked up the water glass before I grasped I’d followed his directions. No point in being stubborn when I needed the hydration.
“Max, I have a question for you,” Milla said as she finished her bite.
“Sure, shoot.”
“What’s going on with you and the pin-up girl from Page Six?”
My glass stopped midway to my mouth, and everyone’s eyes shifted toward me. Why focus on me? I wasn’t the one she’d asked. But I wanted to hear his answer as well, so I remained quiet, waiting for Max to reply.
“Going to the event was a last-minute decision, and when my first choice in dates refused to be seen with me, I took a friend.” He cast a glare at me and resumed eating.
I bit my lip and stared at my food. When he’d called to invite me last week, I was in the middle of a software update. I could have taken a break, but I’d reminded him of the rules instead, and he didn’t insist further. Now remembering the intimate image captured by the photograph, I regretted blowing him off. Hell, I regretted many things. Oh shit, my wine’s gotten to me. My lower lip trembled, so I bit it.
“I’m sure your lady had her reasons,” Ian interjected.
“Maybe one day she’ll decide to enlighten me.”
“Women are a curious breed. Wouldn’t you agree, Mil?” Lex turned to Milla with a smile.
“Shut up, Lex.”
I took a deep breath and decided to steer the conversation to safer waters before things got worse for Milla and me. “So Ian, are you seeing anyone?”
“No one special right now. I’d hoped you’d be interested in becoming my partner in crime.” He touched the welts on my forearm, leaned in, and shot a smirk at Max. “But I believe you are very much entangled with someone else.”
Damn, didn’t work. “I’m sorry if I gave you an impression otherwise.”
“Don’t worry about it. Harmless flirting keeps the spirits up. Wouldn’t you agree, Max?”
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether the girl in question understood who she flirted with. My guess is she didn’t have a clue.”
I glanced at my three best friends across from me, who seemed to enjoy the discussion happening at my expense. Milla even made the motions of eating popcorn from a bowl, until Lex nudged her elbow.
“Maybe she’s instinctively drawn to the strong, commanding type.”
“Or maybe she likes to play with fire.”
I swallowed and resisted the inclination to slide under the table.
“I could never be upset with someone who held such an innocent aura about her.”
“Wait and see how you react when it happens to you.”
I was in the middle of a Ping-Pong match with me serving as the ball. No wonder my head pounded.
“Ms. Rey,” the butler called from the doorway to the dining room. “You have an urgent call that requires your attention.”
Thank goodness for interruptions. Another moment and I’d have lost my mind.
“Excuse me, everyone.” I pushed back from my chair and the men stood. “Please enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“Aren’t you coming back?” Ian asked.
“No, I think I’ll call it a night. I’m exhausted from the excitement of beating you, St. James.”
“Good night, sweet lady.” He took my hand and kissed my knuckles.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Max’s scowl, but he didn’t say anything.
“Later, bella. Don’t work too hard while we enjoy your extensive and expensive bar selections.”
I sent Milla a weary smile and left.
After the call from conference security about last-minute logistics, I’d decided to crash for the night, hoping a good night’s sleep would calm my nerves. Around three in the morning, I roamed onto the sun deck at the back of the yacht with a cup of tea. For two hours, I’d tried to relax and sleep, but every time I drifted off, I’d wake to thoughts of how I’d left things with Max.
I set my cup on a nearby table and relaxed on the outdoor couch with my feet tucked under me. Clutching my robe tighter, I gazed
into the night.
“I see you couldn’t sleep as well.” Ian strolled up and sat near me. “He loves you, you know.”
“You don’t understand our history.”
“Yet I do. I was the one who found him in a dingy bar in Cape Town, drunk off his ass and beaten to a pulp. That night, he not only lost the woman he loved, he ruined his relationship with his best friend.”
“What?” I sat up. “If you knew about us, why did you pretend to be interested in me?”
“I wasn’t pretending. From our first handshake, the natural submissive in you called to me. But I didn’t realize who you were until right after the race.”
I remembered the expression that passed between him and Max that had confused me.
“Max, Lex, and I have been friends since we were young. Who do you think introduced them to the lifestyle?” Ian chuckled.
“So you’re the earl whose club he wanted me to visit in Cape Town?” I cocked my head to the side and smiled. “Do you know how much stuff he stole from your club to help initiate me into your world?”
“I wouldn’t consider it stealing, since he owned a third of the place.”
Wow, even at twenty-five he had his hands in many pots. Max’s versatility never stopped surprising me.
“This is crazy. I’m surrounded my Doms, Dommes, and subs. Even my favorite designer is one.”
“That’s because people of our persuasion are drawn to each other.”
That made sense. The wind increased, and I shivered. “Can I ask you something personal, since you’re the resident expert?”
Ian’s eyes crinkled and he took a sip of his drink. “Sure.”
“How do you keep emotion separated when you know the relationship has a time limit?”
“You don’t. A true D/s relationship involves real affection. Otherwise, it’s cold sex. When it ends, you separate knowing you cared for each other. In your case, I think he’s in it for the duration. You’ll have to decide if you feel the same.”
I closed my eyes and ran my palm over my face. “How do I trust it?”
“That isn’t something I can decide. Loving each other means exposing all your secrets and accepting your partner’s in return.”
One day I’ll tell Max. Hopefully.
“How did you become so wise?”
Ian’s face fell and he peered toward the dark waters. “I made the same mistake I see you making. Caitlin was young and scared and pushed me away. When she wanted me back, I refused to forgive her, and now we both have to live without each other.”
Caitlin. Her words echoed in my head: I gave my heart to someone years ago, and I never got it back.
My own sank. Was this my future? I had to make things right with Max. I stood. “Thanks for talking with me, Ian.”
He continued gazing out into the distance. “No problem. Go talk to him—though you may have to wait until morning.”
I moved into the stairwell that led to the sleeping cabins and paused outside Max’s suite. Light glowed from underneath the door. It was now or never. I exhaled, squared my shoulders, and opened the door.
As I entered the room, I found Max in bed reading. He lounged shirtless against the headboard. I licked my lips and waited for him to look up.
He kept his concentration on the book and spoke. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Yes.” I dropped my robe, crawled onto the bed, and tugged the book from his hand. I straddled his hips and trailed my hands up his muscled arms.
“Wha—”
I placed my finger against his lips before he spoke another word. He gazed at me with such unsaid emotions, I wanted to cry. Dropping my hand, I covered his mouth with mine. I poured everything I felt into the kiss. His hands fisted in my hair as he took control of the embrace. We savored each other’s taste while I rubbed my wet heat against his growing erection.
Before he fully took over, I trailed my lips down his neck, over his chest, flicking his nipple. He sucked in and I moved to the other.
I peeked up and he regarded me with hooded eyes filled with yearning. Could I believe what I saw, or was I fooling myself?
I grasped the edge of his pants, and freed his hard, pulsing erection. Taking hold of him, I squeezed tightly and then ran my hand up and down his length, trailing the throbbing vein underneath with my tongue. I licked the drops of precum spilling from his tip and closed my eyes, basking in his unique taste.
“Ari, take me in all the way,” he moaned.
I smiled and engulfed him with my mouth.
“Oh, fuck,” he hissed and arched his hips.
Wetness pooled between my legs, causing me to squirm. I pumped his thick root with long strokes and sucked. Hollowing my cheeks, I increased the tempo. I worshiped him. He was mine. My hand moved to stroke the sensitive pad underneath his balls.
“Stop, baby. I’m going to come,” he panted.
Good—that’s what I want you to do. I continued my careful ministrations until his cock swelled. Yes, that’s it, baby.
But before I could relish in his masculine flavor, he extracted me from his pulsing cock and rolled me underneath him. “I decide when I come, and that will be with you convulsing around me.”
He slammed into me as my mind whirled and my breath shot out of me. I gripped his shoulders and delighted in his hard-and-fast assault.
He clasped my wrists above my head, locking them in an unbreakable hold.
“Please let me touch you.”
“No. I’ve already allowed you too much control.” He stilled and rested his head against mine with his eyes scrunched closed. “Besides, I’m barely holding on as it is.”
Pleasure blossomed inside me; his disciplined domination hung by a thread. A moan escaped his mouth as I tightened my core muscles.
“Stop that, I know what you’re doing.”
I gazed at his closed lids and smiled, feigning innocence as I flexed again.
“We’ll see about that,” he growled as he surged forward.
“Yes,” I screamed and my pussy rejoiced. He hammered his way in and out of me at a ferocious pace. I arched to meet each thrust, desperate for my release.
“Come now,” he demanded, and my body answered.
My flesh trembled around his beating cock, squeezing him to his own explosion.
“Arya,” he called as he pumped jets of semen into me.
Then Max rolled to the side, gathering me over his chest while keeping his still erect shaft inside of me.
I exhaled in an attempt to catch my breath. I loved this man. He’d hold a place in me forever. I closed my eyes as my exhaustion washed over me.
“So was this an apology fuck?”
I stiffened. This was a stupid idea. What was I thinking? I was supposed to talk to him. Sucking him off or fucking him wasn’t going to solve our problems.
I held back the tears that rimmed my eyes. If I left now, I’d make it back to my room before my emotions let loose.
Resigned, I slid out of his hold and moved to the edge of the bed. But Max tugged me back against him. His arm crept around my waist, and he cradled my head against his shoulder.
“You’re not going anywhere. If you need to cry, then cry, but I won’t let you hide behind the walls you’ve erected to keep us apart.”
I remained silent and stiff against him. Then after what seemed like hours, I relaxed and let Max’s warmth surround me.
“Go to sleep, baby. We’ve got a long week ahead of us.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
You stupid bitch, don’t make me kill you.”
I shook as the knife at my throat pierced my skin. Pain shot down my neck and tears blurred my vision. “Please, don’t hurt my babies.”
Oh God, where were Lex and Milla? Please don’t let anything have happened to them.
“You should have thought of that before you kicked me. I told you to come quietly, but no, you decided to play hero. Get in the car, or you’ll die right now.”
I stumble
d, falling to my knees. I peered up at my assailant, but the bright sun blinded me. A tanned hand grabbed my head, jerking it back. Out of the side of my eyes, I saw a car turn a corner.
“Help! Someone help!” I screamed, but no one stopped.
“Greg, shut that bitch up. We don’t want any attention.”
Oh God, I’m going to die.
He continued pulling me by my hair and dragging me into the car. Pain fired through my scalp and body. My head hit the side door, and spots appeared in my vision. A trickle of blood trailed down my nose, mixing with my tears.
I curled into the far corner of the car, holding my breath and praying.
The one called Greg leered at me as he took his seat next to me. “Drive, fucker. Her security will come searching if we don’t get out of here.” He wiped his face. “I hate this country. It’s so fucking humid. If it wasn’t for the money, I’d say fuck this job.”
“Six mil is more than enough to compensate us for our troubles.”
“No kidding. She’s a looker, don’t you think, Dave? Too bad we can’t keep her.” He reached over and groped my breast.
I flinched and slapped his hand away. No, I’d rather die than have this bastard touch me. I tried kicking him again, but he caught my foot and climbed on top of me.
“I like a fighter. Too bad you’ve got this fat stomach, or I’d show you a really good time.”
A wave of nausea permeated my body. I was pinned underneath Greg, and the pressure on my swollen belly tore through me.
“Please, get off me. My babies—”
“You better start worrying about yourself and not those dead babies.”
What? Don’t kill my babies.
“No, don’t hurt them. They don’t deserve this. Please, I can pay you whatever you want.”
“Did you hear that, Dave? She wants to negotiate. All of these high-class whores think they can buy us with their lover’s money. Where’s your lover now?”
Max! I need you.
“Please—”
“Shut her up. I can’t drive with all her sniffling.”
“I’m in charge here. Let me handle it.”
“Our orders were to get rid of the kids before we got rid of her. They’ll kill us if we don’t follow through.”