by Evelyn Vox
"I just meant that when you look at the outside, this looks like a classic Hampton's house, with all the shingles and white wood, but then you get inside and it's like--"
"Like a bad eighties movie," he finished for me.
"Exactly! I want the inside to match the outside. Some coked out mogul from Malibu owned the house before us and ruined it."
He nodded, listening, so I let myself talk.
"When we bought the house, the realtor told us we might be able to find some of the original work underneath all this crap," I said, my excitement for the project leaking into my voice, "I'd love to get the house back to that, and add some modern amenities."
It was starting to feel like we had some sort of rapport going, which was ten times better than the tension moments ago.
"What kind of amenities?"
"Oh, you know, a wine cellar, a sauna and spa room, a movie theater, maybe?”
Derek stopped nodding. His dark brows drew together and his mouth formed a hard line as his displeasure all but shouted at me. The tension was back again in spades. Was he always so hot and cold? Flustered, I continued to ramble.
"I'd also like to redo the pool."
"I don't do pools," his words were clipped.
"Do you know someone who does?"
"No."
Seriously? I found it hard to believe that a contractor in the Hampton's didn't know someone who did pools. I racked my brain, trying to figure out what went so wrong.
"Mr. Drake, uh, Derek," I said with as much grace as an elephant on stilts, "did I say something wrong?"
"No," he said, but his tone and his rigid posture begged to differ.
He was holding himself coiled and tight like he was about to pounce.
"I have some pictures saved on my phone with style references, if I can show you?"
He nodded, as if speaking would be too much for him right now. I was grateful to have something to do other than look at him as I took my phone out. We leaned over the table with the phone between us, and my pulse started to hammer like crazy.
Being so near to him was putting me on edge. Leaning over, our heads were close enough that I could smell the musky scent of him. It hit me like a wave, and I wanted to nose around in his neck like a dog. He smelled so good.
"What cologne are you wearing?" I asked him before I could stop myself.
He stared into me.
"I don't wear cologne."
I blushed, looking down at my phone. I swiped it open and my text conversation with Emma popped up, full of all the messages I hadn't opened yet:
Did he see you naked??
Did you like that he saw you naked?
Didn't I tell you he was a sex god??
I cleared my throat and clicked away to the home screen. Neither of us mentioned it, but I knew he saw it. I couldn't bring myself to look at him. I'd suddenly become enthralled with navigating my phone, focusing on the screen like my life depended on it.
I pulled up the album full of photos I'd saved and we went through them. I swiped away, explaining what I liked about each one, nerves fueling my gabbing more than anything else. He listened without saying a word, nodding here and there.
"This is my favorite picture," I told him.
It was an ornate master bathroom with a huge tub, cream and gold accents, and white marble. He reached out and angled the phone so he could have a better look. Our hands brushed against each other, but instead of moving away, he kept his hand resting against mine. The light, simple contact sent a shock through my system, and I knew he could hear the way my breathing hitched when he touched me.
"You don't need to flatter me, Alexandra," he said, looking up at me, no, into me, with those dazzlingly gray eyes.
Like some bashful school girl, I was still distracted by the press of his hand against mine. I decided that I liked the way my full name sounded, coming out of those sensual lips of his. He was looking at me with the intensity up at full blaze again. It sent a trill of butterflies shooting down my stomach, and it took me a moment too long to reply.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you don't have to show me pictures of my own work to convince me to take on this project."
"I had no idea," I breathed, "this really is my favorite of all the pictures. It's a bathroom fit for--"
"A goddess," he finished my sentence for me, never releasing me from his searing gaze.
His face was close. Too close.
I really couldn't get over the color of his eyes. I'd never seen eyes like them before, like polished slate. The tension between us ramped up to an unbearable pitch, and he looked like he was about to devour me.
What scared me the most was that I wanted him to.
His presence was utterly dominating. I'd never been around anyone so entrancingly in command in all my life. He leaned in a hair closer to me, making my mouth part as my chest contracted. One more inch and his mouth would be on me, and I didn't think I could resist him if he tried.
I released one quivering breath when Donatella's squished, yellow face broke into my field of vision. She tossed a toy in my lap and waited for me to throw it, tongue lolling out of her wide, toothy mouth. The spell was broken, and the tension dissipated without any kind of enjoyable release. I couldn't tell if I was relieved or annoyed.
Derek stood up to his full height, and I gulped as I was suddenly eye-level with his crotch. I wanted to ogle the impressive bulge that sat between his thighs, obvious even through his jeans. If he was that big now, just imagine how huge he must be when he was...no! I stopped the thought in its tracks and stood up. I was not a short woman, but standing next to him, I felt petite.
"I will work with you," he said with no preamble.
"Amazing," I burst out, "what are the next steps?"
"I'll be back tomorrow for a tour of the house. From there, we'll come up with a plan. Then I'll give you and your husband an estimate. Will Mr. Hale be joining us tomorrow?"
I walked him towards the front door. The dogs followed, an excited whirl of bodies at our heels.
"Brian works in the city, he's only here on the weekends," I informed him, "you will be working almost entirely with me."
We paused by the door. It didn't feel like a coincidence that he brought up my husband. I'd say it was downright intentional.
"I see," he said, "does ten tomorrow morning work for you?"
"Actually, can we do eleven? I have an appointment with my personal trainer," I began, but faltered when I saw the look on his face, "never mind, I'll rearrange things with him."
"I will see you precisely at ten-o'clock," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world for me to rearrange my life around him.
"Perfect."
"There is something here," he told me, fixing me with another one of his blazing stares, "with a lot of potential."
I couldn't tell if he was talking about the house or not. He was talking about the house, right?
"Yes," I said, unsure of what I was agreeing to.
"There is so much to explore," he said, opening the door and stepping out.
I couldn't help but feel like he was definitely talking about more than just the house, and I gulped. He was halfway through the door when he looked back at me.
"Oh, and, Alexandra?"
"Yes, Derek?"
"Don't make me wait for you again."
With that, he walked out the door and closed it right in my gaping face.
Chapter Three
DEREK
"Fuck," I breathed when I settled into my truck.
I sat with my hands on the wheel for a few moments before starting the engine. I couldn't believe I just agreed to work with her. Every instinct I had was telling me that this was a bad idea. I already knew that Alexandra Hale was not someone I could resist.
And the last thing I needed was a jealous husband hounding my ass. These rich pricks were not people I wanted to mess with. It wasn't too late to go back on the deal. I could make up an excuse e
asily enough--the scope of the project was too big, there were other obligations I had to see to, but the thought of never seeing my Venus again made the beast inside of me howl with rage.
I drove out of the affluent areas and headed towards the poor parts where us regular folk lived. Not that I was poor anymore. I made a good living out of working for the stock brokers, real estate moguls, and otherwise sleazy businessmen who inhabited the Hamptons every summer.
They came in droves like a flock of locust. Memorial Day brought them in and Labor Day saw them out. They were just tolerable. So often I was met with rich, gaudy women with even richer, gaudier tastes eager to make their own personal Versailles by the beach.
I couldn't fucking stand them.
Alexandra was going to test my limits. Because, when I saw her rich bitch side, all I wanted to do was punish her for it. A sauna? A spa? All that luxury, the entitlement; it sickened me. When she brought up those "modern amenities" it drove me mad. I wanted nothing more than to make her kneel on the floor and beg for the privilege of sucking me off.
What a spoiled thing she was. I imagined how it would feel to take a creature so used to getting every damn thing she wanted and deny her every night. I wanted to punish her when she disobeyed, break her when she thought she could resist--Fuck, I was hard again just thinking about her. If this was what the mere sight of her could do to me, I couldn't imagine what it'd be like to be inside of her. I'd never met a woman I wanted to consume, to own as much as Alexandra.
The beast wanted her. It needed her. But it couldn't have her. She was married. She was a client. She was forbidden.
So, take her.
I shook my head. I needed to get control of myself. I decided to call Lori, the fling I picked up at a bar a few weeks ago who couldn't seem to get enough of me. I'd release my frustrations on her. I couldn't afford to lose control tomorrow.
The beast thrummed with rage when I opened the front door and it found Lori standing there instead of Alexandra. Even now, as she was on all fours with my cock buried inside of her, all I could do was stare at the back of her dark hair and think it wasn't the right color.
I willed her hair to turn into amber red strands like spun gold. Her limbs lengthened until I envisioned my Venus bowed and begging in front of me. The things I'd like to do to her...I pumped faster as I conjured the image of Alexandra bound, helpless, mine.
My grip on Lori's waist tightened as I pummeled into her. I thought of all the toys I'd use on Alexandra's divine body. All the ways I'd make her grovel and plead for release. How her pussy would taste. I thrust faster, harder, lost to the vision of that goddess on her knees before me.
"Derek!"
I was jolted from my fantasy to see Lori scrambling out of my grasp.
"What the hell," she said, shocked.
She was rubbing tenderly at red marks on her waist from where I was holding her. I recognized the signs; she'd be bruised by the end of the day.
"That was way too rough," she said with wounded eyes.
"I don't know what got into me," I said flatly, but I did know. I knew exactly what happened.
The beast was awake and it was hungry.
This was the first time Lori ever experienced it, but it didn't wake up for her. Those marks were just a taste of what it could do. I took a deep breath. I needed to get her out of here. Lori wasn't made for this kind of stuff, and this wasn't something I could keep contained right now.
"If you can't handle it then I suggest you leave," I told her.
Part of me wondered if she'd take my bait. If she'd decide she wanted to play with the monster gleaming in my eyes tonight. Lori gave me a glare that would leave a lesser man wobbling as she left my bait dangling on the hook.
"Give me a call when you've got some decency back, asshole," she spat as she grabbed her clothes.
I saw her to the door. Aries lifted his furry head from the sofa and watched us like a sentry.
"I'm sorry if I hurt you," I told her sincerely.
"What the hell happened to you?" she said, before shaking her head, "Forget it. I don't want to know. But seriously, give me a call when you're back to normal."
"Sure," I said, knowing that I may never be back to normal now that Alexandra was in my life.
I listened to her car ramble out of the driveway. It wasn't too late, I reminded myself for the umpteenth time that day. We hadn't signed a contract. I could back out of this now and never have to worry about Alexandra Hale poking the beast again.
The animal roared at me.
This was why I couldn't get too close to women. Every so often I'd meet a woman who sparked more than a casual interest, and then the beast would take control. It always pushed things too far. I'd hurt people before, emotionally and physically, because I couldn't control it. I got by with hook ups because the beast didn't play nice with relationships. Because any woman I'd want to date is one who'd make the beast go crazy, which was when I'd become crazy. So, I stayed away.
Except, I didn't think I could stay away from Alexandra. The beast has never wanted anyone more than it wanted her.
I was going to have to be very careful tomorrow.
Chapter Four
LEXIE
The sun was blinding as it kissed my naked flesh, caressing me with its warm golden embrace. I was lying in the grass by the pool, luxuriating under the sun, when a sound by the gate caused me to raise my head. Derek Drake stood behind it, shirtless, and he growled like an animal as he jumped over the gate in one swoop.
He was on me in an instant. His hands made my skin boil. His lips captured my mouth in a searing kiss. I ignited. My body burst into flames of desire that licked and consumed us both. He ripped his pants off, took out his magnificent cock, and fucked me. He fucked me hard and fast, riding me until--I woke up gasping to a rocking orgasm.
Sweat beaded at my neck as I tried to get my bearings. It was a dream. It was just a dream. A vivid, intense sex dream that had left me a shaking mess. I released a shuddering breath and let the cool air out through my heated lips. The sun had only just started to rise.
I tried to fall back to sleep, but I kept thinking about the dream. He was so...masculine. So...dominant. I tossed and turned, squirming under the weight of the lust that filled me. My fingers found their way under my panties to rub my swollen clit. I moaned to myself in the huge, empty bed. My other hand filled itself with my breast.
I tossed my lace undies to the side, putting two fingers into my wet entrance, but it wasn't enough. I reached beside the drawer for my purple rabbit vibrator. I turned it on, the hum ringing out into the air, and I pleasured myself with it until I screamed out an orgasm for the second time that morning.
I laid back with heavy limbs and closed my eyes. I didn't know what was happening to me, but I wanted Derek. I wanted him more than I'd ever wanted any man and that terrified me. Thoughts of my husband flitted through my mind, filling me with guilt, but I shook my head. Why should I feel guilty? There was nothing wrong with a harmless little fantasy.
Right?
I told my personal trainer that I needed my butt kicked this morning and he did not disappoint. The hard work out was the perfect outlet for my frustrations over Derek, but I'd definitely be sore tomorrow. I looked at the clock as I paced around the house with the nerves of a skittering colt. It was five to ten. He'd be here soon.
I got myself a glass of water and thought back to the cold shower I took this morning. It was sobering, and I was determined to overcome this silly infatuation. I was wearing a deliberately modest set of crew shorts, sandals, and a designer tank top. Underwear included this time.
The exact moment the clock turned ten, the doorbell rang, making me jump. My heart thumped as I rushed from the kitchen to the front door. I didn't want to find out what he'd do if I kept him waiting too long. I saw his tall, looming shadow through the blurred planes of glass and suppressed a tremor.
My hand paused on the handle. I was a grown ass woman employing a contractor, not
a blushing virgin chasing after the bad boy in town. I had to get it together! I took a deep breath and opened the door with a smile.
He already looked pissed. Great.
"I was about to ring again," he told me with a tone.
"Hello," I greeted, like a normal human being, "I was in the kitchen. It took a second to walk over here."
He scowled like that was hardly an excuse, looking stern and dark, like a demanding, dominant god who promised punishment at the first sign of disobedience. Those flames of desire were starting to lick at me already.
"Where are the runts?" Derek asked, letting himself in and looking around for Donnie and Coco.
"They're in the yard, so they won't bother us," I said, "and they aren't runts."
"I see," he said with what may have been a small nod of approval.
He fixed me in with his hot, gray gaze, looking at me like he knew exactly what had happened this morning. Looking at me like he would much rather be helping me bring my sex dreams to life than take a tour of the house. One look from him was all it took for my body to react. Dull heat pooled between my legs and I felt my nipples tighten into hard little buds.
Derek stepped in just an inch too close as his huge body invaded my personal space. My lips parted when I shuddered in a breath, my heart thudding at his proximity. His musky, masculine scent overpowered me so much I could've panted in lust.
"Let's get started, Alexandra," he said, his gaze never leaving me.
It was a relief to start the tour and focus on the house. I walked him through the first floor, telling him what I'd like. Derek listened, took notes, and followed me from room to room, never once removing himself from the bubble of my personal space. He remained always a hair too close for comfort, a shade too close to be appropriate, and I didn't try to escape him.