Covet

by Rosanna Leo

  His uncanny intuition might be her undoing. His deference and caring would make it hard to walk away.

  She had to walk away eventually. Didn’t she?

  This week had been a fantasy interlude but, in a day or so, she’d return to work and life would go on.

  Suddenly pained, she stopped kissing him and touched his face.

  His green eyes appeared darker in the elevator but they didn’t twinkle any less. Although he was clean shaven, he’d missed a spot at the right side of his mouth. A few tiny golden hairs dotted the area over his top lip. If anything, they made him look a little less put together and appealingly human.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Never been better.”

  As she smiled, he ran his thumb along her lower lip, quietly considering her face. “I liked what we did tonight.”

  “Me too. I want more.” Any worries about whether or not she and Alex could walk into the sunset together disappeared. She put her hands on his shoulders and pressed down.

  “I like where this is headed.”

  “Be a good boy and get on your knees.”

  As Alex sank to his knees, the magnificence of the moment caught her off guard. Slightly disheveled but glorious, he turned up his face in expectation. The light in his eyes was that of a child about to receive a huge ice cream sundae.

  She couldn’t help giggling. “You like this dynamic, don’t you?”

  “You mean, do I like being bossed around for your pleasure? Yeah, I do.”

  “Good.” She reached for the slit of her gown and pulled the fabric aside. “You know what to do.”

  With a devilish grin, Alex lay his hands on her thighs and crouched lower between her legs. As he flicked his tongue through her lips, warmth swarmed her body. Alex had a very talented tongue. It speared into her, awakening her body for the umpteenth time, and then gentled as he sucked. Over and over, he stroked her swollen pussy, as if he was the one who couldn’t get enough.

  Maybe he couldn’t get enough. The idea astounded her.

  Another astonishing orgasm lay on her horizon but Dana didn’t want to come here. She wanted to be naked with him on a bed, where nothing mattered but their two bodies coming together.

  She gave his hair a playful tug. “Start up the elevator.”

  With reluctance, Alex left his spot on the floor, stopping to kiss her clit, her stomach and her navel. “Are you sure? You taste like heaven. I could do this all night.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. Take me to your bed, Alex.”

  He stood and hit the elevator button again. For those last few moments in the lift, he gathered her into his arms and held her close. Warm and protected, Dana’s heart beat somewhere under his. His pulse was just as erratic, just as amazed.

  For the first time in a while, she wondered if there was a chance she might actually be able to claw herself out of the mire.

  He doesn’t know the truth. You have to tell him.

  No. This was just sex.

  And yet Alex had made it clear he wanted a relationship with her.

  The elevator door opened. He held out his hand. “Ready?”

  She nodded and took his hand. She followed him through his office area and into a spacious back hallway. He opened the door at the end and turned on the light.

  A masculine sanctuary awaited her. Spare, like his office space, Alex’s bedroom radiated calm. The floor was covered in soft grey carpeting and three of the walls were painted in the same soothing color. The wall behind his headboard was the showpiece. It was made of wood and painted a dark blue-grey. The bed was decorated in the same tones. With a metal frame and headboard and clean, white sheets, it invited her to sink into the mattress. There wasn’t much in the way of artwork, but a couple of heavy sconces provided light. Off to the right side of the room, the doors to a large walk-in closet hung open. His suits and shirts were displayed in neat rows. At the bottom of the closet, his dress shoes, all polished to a shine, were lined up. A row of pristine designer sneakers sat directly above the dress shoes. The spaces between them were all so precise, Dana could imagine a butler measuring them.

  She covered her mouth to stifle a smile.

  “Excuse me, miss. Are you laughing at my closet?”

  “It’s so tidy. I just want to run over there and mess it up a bit. Maybe toss one of your shirts onto the floor.”

  Alex feigned shock. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  She sashayed toward the closet, dragging her finger along his bedspread. “A little anal about organization, are we?”

  He grinned. “You really shouldn’t have said the word ‘anal.’”

  “And why not?”

  “Because it’s giving me dirty thoughts.” He reached her in a couple of long strides and wrapped her in an embrace. Palming her ass, squeezing each cheek, he took her mouth. After a kiss that left them both winded, he steeled himself and removed his hands from her body. “You have no idea how hard it is to stop kissing you.”

  “I think I have some idea.” Dana rubbed her swollen lips. “Why did you stop?”

  “Don’t get me wrong. I’m dying to take control of this situation but I made a promise. I’m your humble servant, remember?”

  “Right. Be careful. The power might go to my head.”

  “Tell me what you want,” said Alex, his voice coarse, “and I’ll do it.”

  “Anything?”

  “Anything.”

  “Hmm, interesting.” She sat on his bed. “Take off your clothes. I want to see you.”

  He began to attack his shirt buttons.

  “No, Alex. Slowly. I want to enjoy this.”

  His lips compressed. “What about you? That dress needs to go.”

  “If you put on a good enough show, I might consider it.”

  Alex’s nostrils flared but he laughed. She had a feeling once she relinquished control, not only would he seize it, he would take it and teach her a lesson.

  His gaze never straying from her face, he popped his shirt buttons through the holes at a torturous pace. Little by little, sections of his torso became visible. She’d always suspected he had rock hard abs under there, and when he finally removed his shirt, the proof made her giddy. She couldn’t wait to run her fingers over the ripples of his abdomen. Golden hairs dotted his chest, just enough that she’d be able to inflict some punishment and tug them. He had a faded farmer’s tan and for some reason, it struck her as amusing.

  “Why are you smiling?”

  “I didn’t expect you to have a farmer’s tan.”

  “I’ll have you know this is a runner’s tan. I wear t-shirts when I run.”

  “You won’t be running anywhere tonight.”

  “Trust me. I wasn’t planning on it.” Alex pulled up a chair from the corner and sat down directly in front of her. He leaned over and untied his dress shoes, removing them and his socks. Barefoot and bare-chested, he leaned back in his chair and stared at her.

  “What are you thinking?”

  He spread his legs. “If I had my way right now, you’d be on your knees.”

  She tutted. “Oh dear, that doesn’t sound like humble servant talk.”

  His knee began to bounce up and down. He was on edge and she’d brought him to it. The rush brought a huge smile to her face.

  “You enjoy my pain.”

  “Shouldn’t you be undressing, Alex?”

  Like a great cat unfurling itself in its lair, he stood. His waistline was at her eye level and he knew it.

  Dana batted her eyelashes. “I’m waiting.”

  He reached for his belt buckle with an unsteady hand. When he tugged on the belt, it was with more force than necessary. The rip of a couple of stitches on his pants brought them both into an even more heightened state of awareness.

  Dana’s heart raced like that of a doe being pursued by a wolf. Surely he could see the pulsing mass of erratic beats in her chest. It reminded her of the time her doctor had sent her to the hospital for an allergy test. She’d h
ad a couple of mild reactions when taking aspirin and the doctor believed she might be allergic. The test, which consisted of taking aspirin in a controlled environment, had confirmed it. Her throat had proceeded to close. The specialist had administered a shot of adrenaline to eliminate her symptoms. It will feel as if your heart is beating outside your chest, Dana. It’ll calm down in a couple of minutes. Sure enough, once the adrenaline was coursing through her system, her heart had felt as if it was pumping about a foot in front of her. In her dazed state, she’d even been tempted to reach out her hand to grab it.

  Alex did the same thing to her.

  He made her heart beat somewhere outside her chest.

  He unfastened the trouser button and pulled the zipper down. When he removed his pants, it seemed as if all the air in the room evaporated. She breathed in and her breath formed a vacuum. Everything was silent. No one else existed but them. His playfulness had disappeared and hers did too.

  All Dana knew in that moment was want. It was forceful and demanding and she couldn’t have turned away even if she’d wanted to.

  Zeus was about to reveal himself to the mortal.

  Alex wore black boxer briefs. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband and slowly drew it down.

  Slim hips gave way to powerful thighs and a needy, straining cock.

  She licked her dry lips but it didn’t help. He was too beautiful. It almost hurt her eyes to look at him.

  He stood still, hands at his sides, awaiting her instruction. When his fists clenched, she realized she might be staring too long.

  With difficulty, Dana stood and walked around him. Every angle was perfect. His back was a mass of lean muscle. His butt was high and rounded. His calves would make a quarterback cry in envy.

  All of a sudden, she felt a little less in control.

  Once again sensing her discomfort, Alex looked over his shoulder at her. “Where would you like me?”

  Dana glanced at his bed. Four short posts stood at the corners. “Lie down. On your back.”

  He crawled on and lay down. His cock throbbed against his gut.

  Dana walked over to his closet and chose four ties. “Spread your arms and legs.”

  Hesitating only a moment, Alex obeyed. Dana took her time and tied his ankles and wrists to the posts, looping the fine fabric over his skin. The knots might not be worthy of a sailor, but they’d do the trick. If he tried, Alex could disentangle himself, but he lay supine. Despite a tightness around his mouth, he appeared to have accepted his fate.

  “Are you uncomfortable?”

  “No.”

  “Have you ever been tied up before?”

  “No.”

  “Do you want me to let you go?”

  His somber gaze met hers. “No.”

  Dana swallowed hard. They were both crossing boundaries tonight.

  She wasn’t even sure what her end game was in tying him up. All she knew was the headiness of the feeling and the need to prolong it.

  A tiny line of sweat beaded Alex’s upper lip.

  It was time to make him sweat harder.

  Standing at the side of the bed so he could see her easily, Dana unzipped her gown and let it fall to the floor. Standing only in her heels and her flimsiest bra, she seemed even more on display than he was. His eyes darted all over, at her breasts, her hips, her sex. Determined to torture him, she unclasped her bra and tossed it into his closet. It landed in a silky heap on a pair of his sneakers.

  His deep chuckle held a measure of danger.

  “Did I just poke the bear?”

  “Are you going to stand there all night long?” He pulled on one of his wrist restraints.

  She waggled a finger. “Don’t you dare.”

  “Dana, please. You’re killing me.”

  She slipped out of her shoes and crawled up on the bed, kneeling between his legs. “That sounded an awful lot like begging.” When she trailed a finger up his leg, he bucked.

  “Fuck. I am begging.”

  She ran the same finger up over his abs and down the opposite leg, never touching him where it counted. “Oh, yeah? It hurts me to see a grown man beg for something he’s going to get anyway.”

  His eyes darkened with want.

  Leaning over, she dragged her tongue up his cock.

  Alex groaned. “Fuck. Ah, yes, shit.”

  Thrilled with his reaction, she took him in her mouth, as deep as she could. From her peripheral vision, she could see him tugging on his arm restraints.

  She wasn’t sure this beast could be caged any longer.

  In all honestly, she wasn’t sure she wanted to keep him in his cage.

  Dana licked and teased Alex until he threw his head back on his pillow in defeat. She took savage delight in dragging her fingernails up his legs, only to cup him tenderly. He writhed, thrusting his hips up to meet her mouth and every time he moaned in contentment, she withdrew and made him wait. His face grew pained and she took mercy on him again.

  He was a rod of nerves and muscle, his entire body tensed. Aching for her own release, she rose up over him and whispered in his ear. “Condom?”

  “Bedside table.”

  Stopping only to capture his earlobe between her teeth, Dana reached into the table drawer and found a condom. She unwrapped it and slowly rolled it on him. Even that made his eyes roll back in agony. Feeling a surge of power, she straddled his crotch and lowered herself onto him, degree by painful degree.

  Alex let out a curse but then fell silent. His mouth opened and closed and he once more yanked on the restraints.

  She ran her hands up his chest, tweaking his nipples. “Not yet.”

  With a smile, Dana rode him. As she rocked atop him, taking him deep into her body, he met her thrust for thrust. His thighs were like iron, the only way he could brace himself. She broke out into a sweat as well, moisture accumulating on her brow and lower back.

  Delight coursed through her from head to toe. Awash in Alex, in his scent and in his submission, Dana neared another moment of bliss. She touched her breasts, transported by his pleasure as much as her own.

  “Dana, please.”

  The pain in Alex’s voice cut into her, reminding her of the pain she’d managed to suppress all evening.

  Hollow, hollow, hollow.

  She would never bear children, not with this man or any man. Her womb would never cradle another soul. She was alone, even now during the most intimate moment she’d shared with Alex.

  He needed to know the truth. As much as she liked to pretend this was all about sex, emotions were now involved. She saw it in the furrow on his brow and in the way his hands strained to hold her. She recognized it in the unsteady trot of her heartbeat.

  Would Alex turn her away, as Tommy had, seeing her as inferior goods?

  She must have stilled or whimpered because Alex asked again. “Please. Let me.”

  Her empowerment disappeared with his plea.

  “You can trust me, Dana.”

  With a nod, she offered her permission. Dana extricated herself from his lap, in awe at the sense of emptiness it created, and began to untie the knots. When he was free, they both sat still for a second. She expected him to throw her down and fuck her senseless or paddle her ass until it was purple, but he didn’t do either of those things.

  Alex cupped her cheek and kissed both of her shuttered eyelids. “You’re a warrior.”

  “No, I’m not. It was just a fantasy.’

  “You’re incredible. But now it’s my turn.”

  Dana lay back and gave him her body, seeking transformation of some kind. Alex slid between her legs and entered her with a deep thrust. She closed her eyes when they misted, determined not to cry. She would not sully the moment with tears.

  Alex drove her to the point of sweet madness, slapping her ass and scratching her skin. She knew he would leave marks but she didn’t mind. She would be honored to wear those scratches.

  When the hurricane razed the earth, she threw herself willingly into the s
torm.

  As everything settled, their shattered breaths mingling, she realized he might not have transformed her body.

  But he took her right out of it, and for now, she welcomed oblivion.

  Come morning, she would have to face reality.

  And she was terrified.

  ***

  Dana had fallen asleep in his arms.

  Alex had forgotten how good it could be to have a beautiful woman lay next to him, her body curled up against his in total trust. He’d certainly never anticipated how good it would feel with Dana.

  Their night together had been an out-of-body experience. She’d claimed her power, taking utter control of their lovemaking, bringing him to the brink. He’d never come so hard or endured such sweet punishment. Now, she nestled next to him, sleeping like an innocent.

  Humbled and excited for the first time in a long time, he traced the line of her jaw. It gritted under his finger. She moaned, grinding her teeth.

  A nightmare.

  Wanting to soothe her, Alex brought her closer to his chest and kissed her forehead. She smelled so good, of flowers and heat and of him. He’d left his stamp all over her body and wanted to do it all over again.

  You’re falling for this woman.

  The thought should have been terrifying but it wasn’t. He wanted more with her, wanted to see how far they could take things.

  He definitely wanted her in his bed on a regular basis. They hadn’t had enough time. Suddenly, he was obsessing over all the things they hadn’t done during her week at Vice. They hadn’t gone out for dinner. They hadn’t shared a breakfast. She hadn’t told him all about her childhood, her hopes and fears. He wanted to know what drove her, what inspired her.

  Most of all, he wanted to be her inspiration.

  Once again, she groaned and mumbled something. Under the sheets, her feet thrashed.

  “Shh.” He moved his lips down to her nose and capturing her flailing legs between his. “I’ve got you, baby. It’s okay.”

  Her chest heaved, even as she slept. “Broken.”

  It wasn’t the first time that word that slipped from her subconscious.

  Nothing works inside me. I’m broken.

  He’d brushed the comment off before, thinking it was the result of too many drinks. Clearly, it hit harder than any Golden Oblivion.