by Jenika Snow
The tip of his shaft nudged her opening. “Look at me, Lalita.”
She opened her eyes and stared into the deep depths of his green ones. They were like cut emeralds under the dim light. His blond hair hung in damp strands across his forehead as he stared down at her. His muscular arms were braced on either side of her head as he pushed into her. It was an incredible feeling to have him penetrate her because it was so different from the other two times he had been intimate with her. This time it actually felt like there was something more between them.
“Touch me.” His whispered words teased the shell of her ear.
Finally she would get to feel him under her fingertips. When her arms were braced on his shoulders, he rested more of his upper body on hers. Both of them were slick with perspiration and moved sensually together as he grinded his pelvis against hers. The act wasn’t rushed, and as their bodies moved as one and they both came at the same time, it was a feeling of belonging that moved through her. Lalita didn’t want to look too deeply into it, but it was an emotion that was too strong to ignore.
He didn’t fuck her, he made love to her, and she couldn’t have found a better way to end an evening filled with so many dark pleasures.
Chapter Ten
Having sex on a continual basis seemed to make the days fly by. She missed Lennon, but thankfully she was allowed to call him on her days off. At least she was comforted by the knowledge that he was happy with Mary and her daughter who was about his age, but still, she missed him something fierce. There was a light at the end of the tunnel, but Lalita was finding it harder and harder not to let her emotions get involved.
Some of the men tended to keep their distance with her unless they wanted some kind of sexual favor. It seemed that only Aleck, Torryn, Michael, and Dorian were the ones that wanted to actually talk to her about other things besides sex.
Torryn was very good at fucking her until she couldn’t stand straight and then leaving her to clean up after him, but there were times when he would talk to her as if she hadn’t been hired to have sex with them. He talked to her at times like he cared for her as more than just a sexual thing to use to get off with.
Kane and Zakary were colder with her than the other four. It was still hard to look at Aleck after the night they had, but she realized that he was only like that in the bedroom. Outside of it he was the kindest and gentlest out of the six, well, aside from Michael who seemed to like to touch her intimately at every opportunity.
Then there was Dorian, the strong silent type that, although he spoke to her and asked her about her, still kept his distance and his emotions hidden. Sex with him was always dominating and memorable and, she admitted to herself, sometimes almost seemed possessive. With each passing day, she realized her emotions had a mind of their own, but she was good to keep them to herself and not let them show.
The day was beautiful, and she planned on spending her “free” time exploring the grounds and maybe even trying out the impressive hedge maze. No one was in sight when she made her way downstairs and out the backdoor. Although they had specifically said she couldn’t bring anything with her, the small suitcase she had brought held a few items of clothing and personal mementos, like a picture of her son. Thankfully the things she brought hadn’t been taken from her.
Dressed in a pair of jeans and a cardigan set, she actually felt like a woman. On her other days off, she had been so thoroughly exhausted that she hadn’t even contemplated going outside and seeing the grounds, but today she forced herself to get dressed and get some fresh air.
As soon as she opened the back door she closed her eyes and let the warm rays of the sun absorb into her skin. A light breeze whistled by and shifted her hair that hung across her shoulders. She closed the door behind her and took a step off the landing. The estate was monstrous, and the surrounding land wasn’t any different. Directly in front of her sat the table where she and Aleck had shared dinner. Beyond that was the hedge maze. To the left was an opulent swimming pool, and to the right was a vast garden that was intricately landscaped. There had to be hundreds upon hundreds of varying flowers in that garden. Although it was tempting to head toward the flowers, Lalita really wanted to try out the maze.
The front entrance showed a sign inlaid in black stone of an aerial view of the maze. It wasn’t overly large, but there were enough twists and turns that someone could easily get lost in there for hours. The thought that maybe this wasn’t a good idea played in her head, but curiosity won over and Lalita headed forward.
It was clear the maze, as well as the grounds, was kept up with precision and detail. Not a single twig or leaf was out of place as she made her way through the winding maze. Who actually took care of the grounds was a mystery to her since she never saw any staff, but it was clear someone was taking care of things. She couldn’t help but think that Lennon would love this place with all the nooks and crannies the mansion had to offer and all the things he could explore outside. She hated thinking about her son while at the estate because all it did was make her depressed and guilty. Over and over she wondered if she was a bad mother for leaving him to go fuck a bunch of men. Sure, her intentions might have been good, but it still didn’t make her feel any better.
Would she ever be able to look him in the eye after what she did? It was true she would have enough money to keep him happy and comfortable, but she knew where that money would have come from. Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she pressed forward.
A stone bench greeted her when she turned a corner, as well as a dead end. When she sat down, the coldness of the stone was startling, but it wasn’t enough to distract her from her thoughts.
Tears started to fall down her cheeks as she thought about her predicament. “It doesn’t do any good wallowing in your own self-pity when you put yourself in this position.” She wiped her tears away and sat up straighter. “Act like a woman and do your job. You can worry about how you’ll feel later. Right now you know what your objective is. Man up, Lalita.”
Talking to herself didn’t help, but the silliness of what she was doing put a smile on her face.
There really was no reason to cry over the choices she made. And in all honesty, she couldn’t feel that sorry for herself. She had met some amazing men and, despite her better judgment, was starting to feel things that maybe she shouldn’t.
Lalita stood up and started through the maze again. The tranquility and serenity of her surroundings had her mind wandering to different things, things that didn’t make her cry.
* * * *
Hours passed, and Lalita still couldn’t find her way out of the maze. Great fucking idea. The frustration just kept building and building until she thought she would scream. She tried to visualize the map at the front entrance, but her head hurt and she couldn’t think clearly. The crying had started an hour ago and hadn’t relented. Overall this had been a horrible idea.
She had tried to see over the wall by standing on a bench, but it was no use. The hedges were too high and she was just too short. Climbing the wall wasn’t even an option because, well, there was no leverage. Either find a way out or hope someone came looking for her. As the sun started to descend and everything became dark, visibility was becoming very limited. The only good thing about it getting dark was that she could see the light from the mansion, but even that didn’t help her get back. There were just too many twists and turns in the maze that she was thoroughly turned around.
Ass on yet another bench, she rested her head in her hands. Her eyes felt swollen from crying, and her nose was stuffed up so bad she could hardly breathe. Just as she thought she would have to spend the night in the creepy maze, she thought she heard her name being called. Holding her breath in hopes it wasn’t just her imagination, she heard it again, closer.
Cupping her hands around her mouth, she shouted as loud as she could. “Over here.” Heart beating in excitement, she could hear the sound of heavy footfalls coming closer and closer.
A dark figure stepped ar
ound the corner just as a bright beam of light blinded her. She lifted her hand and covered her eyes, wondering which man had found her. When she lowered her hand, she could see that it was Dorian. Although it was dark outside, he was close enough that she could see the strange expression on his face.
“You were lost.” Out of breath as if he had been running, he pulled her from the bench and wrapped her in a tight embrace.
Lalita was caught so off guard that she fell back into the hedge. He righted them and stepped away from her.
“We thought you left initially until we saw your suitcase still here.” He cleared his throat. “What happened? Why did you come in here without someone else?” No longer did he sound relieved to see her. Anger was starting to replace that emotion.
What could she say? Why did she have to say anything? “It was my free day, and this is what I chose to do. None of you take me out of the house long enough to explore the grounds ‘with someone else,’ so how am I supposed to know certain things?”
Now her voice was rising because, frankly, who the hell did he think he was, questioning her? Of course she was happy to see him, but he sounded almost accusatory, like she had meant to get herself lost.
He let out a long breath and ran his hand over his jaw. “You’re right, and I’m sorry for snapping at you. You just had me worried, had all of us worried.” He said the last part almost as a filler, as if he hadn’t meant to say he had worried about her.
“Come on, the others will be happy to know you haven’t run off, or worse, fallen over the cliff.”
“There’s a cliff?” He didn’t answer her high-pitched question.
He took hold of her hand and led her back out the way he came. Lalita was embarrassed to realize she had been so close to the entrance that if she hadn’t sat down, she probably would have found it. When they exited the maze, she noticed Dorian kept hold of her hand. He placed the flashlight under his arm and pulled out a cell phone.
“Yeah, I found her. She was in the maze.” There was a moment of silence, and then Dorian mumbled a few more words before putting his phone back in his pocket.
He pushed the back door open and gently led her inside. A few moments later the front door opened and she heard the other guys call out to them. When they were all in the entertainment room, the other five stared at her, some angrily, some with relieved expressions on their faces.
Lalita said the only thing that came to mind. “Sorry.” A terse moment passed, and then Aleck chuckled. Torryn and Michael looked more at ease, but she could see an underlying emotion of anger cross Torryn’s face. Zakary and Kane remained angry looking and refused to meet her gaze.
“Well, I’m starving, so let’s eat.” Aleck rubbed his hands together and went into the kitchen, but not before stopping beside her and kissing her on the cheek. “I’m glad you didn’t fall over the cliff.” He leaned back, winked, and followed a tense Zakary and Kane out.
When it was just Dorian and her, she turned and looked up at him.
“I’m really sorry I ruined your night and made everyone mad. That wasn’t my intention. I just wanted to see the maze.” She was sorry in a way because now it was going to be awkward as hell around them.
Dorian didn’t speak right away, and when he did, she was surprised by his response. “I know, love. Don’t mind Zakary, Torryn, and Kane.”
Michael started to chuckle and then leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. “They are always pissed about something.” Michael followed the other men and left her and Dorian alone.
Dorian leaned in and brought his lips to hers. The kiss lasted several seconds, and Lalita could feel her toes curl with pleasure. He broke the kiss all too soon and headed into the kitchen. Although she liked her nights off, she wouldn’t mind finishing what Dorian had started. It was a nice thought, one that she might have to act on. A smile curled her lips. She may have signed up to be their submissive, but she didn’t see anything in the contract that said she couldn’t seduce them herself in her free time.
Chapter Eleven
It was not surprising that every time she had a night off the men went to bed early. She retired early herself, but not so she could rest up. Ever since the idea to seduce Dorian played in her mind, she hadn’t been able to get rid of it. She had been given equal time with each man, but there was something about Dorian that made her want to see more of him.
It was a crazy notion, but the very image of slipping into his room while he slept, sliding beneath the covers beside him, and running her hands over all that muscle was too tempting to resist. If she was smart, she would have soaked in the tub longer to ease her muscles, but the excitement of what she was going to do tonight had her quickly washing and primping.
Even though she had been intimate with Dorian on several occasions, never once did she explore his body as he did hers. Tonight may be no different, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. Could he really punish her if she was doing this on a night that was dubbed “her free night”? Time would tell.
Dressed in only a long ivory silk chemise, Lalita slipped out of her room and made her way toward the room that Dorian stayed in. The walls and doors were thick, and she doubted anyone could hear her creeping around in the hallway, but she made sure not make any unnecessary noise.
When she was in front of the twin oak doors of Dorian’s room, she froze. Nerves frazzled because of her intent, she didn’t know what to do. A glance down each side of the hallway assured her that she was alone, and the ominous sound of the grandfather clock downstairs ticking away was in tune with the pulse beating in her neck. It’s now or never.
The doorknob was freezing when she gripped it. Turning it as silently as she could, Lalita pushed the door open just enough to squeeze through. The room was pitch black once she closed the door behind her. Back pressed against the unyielding wood, she tried to calm her rapid breathing. Once her eyesight adjusted, she was able to make out the bed and the large form beneath the covers.
Tiptoeing across the plushly carpeted floor, she stopped once she reached the side of the bed that was vacant. Oh God. You can do this. Stop being a coward. The only movement from Dorian was the steady rise and fall of his chest. Teeth clenched as she crawled into bed, she was at least thankful it was king-sized and her movement barely rattled the other side.
Once she was under the covers, she didn’t know what do to next. She was close enough to him that she could smell the aftershave he wore and see the smooth curve of his shoulder. Not wasting another minute, she lifted her hand to run her fingers along the hard contours of his arm. Before she made contact, she was thrown on her back and a hard body was pressed on top of her.
Dorian stared down at her with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. “What are you doing here, Lalita?”
She licked her lips and noticed how his gaze dropped down to watch the movement. Should she tell him the truth? Should she tell him what her intentions had been?
“I came to seduce you.” Voice no more than a whisper, she knew how she must have looked to him. Her eyes must have been huge, her breathing erratic, and body tense.
He felt so heavy atop her, his big arms and legs pinning her to the mattress, so escape was impossible. If she was being honest, she would have to admit that she had no intentions of escaping.
“You snuck in my room in the middle of the night to seduce me?” One dark brow rose and a smirk curled his lips. “Interesting.” He dipped his head and ran his lips over her throat.
She heard him inhale deeply and wondered if he could smell the lavender perfume she had used just for this occasion. He shifted on top of her so that she was forced to spread her legs wider to accommodate him. When she felt the hard length of his erection press against her silk-clad pussy, she nearly groaned. Despite the thin barrier of their clothing, it was too much of a distraction. Lalita wanted to feel his skin sliding against hers, but he had the upper hand at the moment. Seemed her seducing skills had gone to shit.
First he slipped one of her straps
down her arm and then the other. When the silk fell away from her breasts, she heard him inhale deeply, as if he was shocked by the sight. They certainly weren’t anything he had never seen before, but she could see him staring down at them as if it was the first time he had looked at her nude.
Taking control had been her motive in coming here, but it seemed Dorian was taking matters into his own hands. He cupped one of her breasts and dipped his head to take her nipple into his mouth. His movements were unhurried, and she absorbed the feeling of just being touched by a man she had grown to care for. It still seemed strange that she could feel this strongly about him in such a short period of time.
He alternated between breasts until she could hear herself panting and thrusting the twin mounds more firmly into his face. The rest of her gown was next to come off, and then he removed his boxers. A deep sigh left her when she finally felt his nude body flush with hers. There were no hurried movements as he touched and kissed every part of her body.
When he rolled onto his back and pulled her atop him, she felt like a queen as he stared up at her.
“Take control, seductress.” A wicked grin curled his lips.
She reached between their bodies and grabbed his cock. It felt so hot in her hand, like velvet-coated, warmed steel. Lifting onto her knees, she positioned the tip of his erection at the entrance of her pussy and slowly sank down. The deep breath he exhaled once he was fully inside of her was one of content. Maybe she was reading too much into it, and maybe he was just fucking her like every other time, but it sure didn’t feel that way.