by Maren Smith
She drew in a shaky breath. “A lot,” she murmured, her words barely audible.
“How much?” he asked again, his tone curter this time.
She pulled away from him slightly, as though she was desperate to make eye contact again—to make him understand. “I didn’t know how much I’d need for an event like that,” she admitted. “But I have very little in the way of savings, so…”
Blake had heard enough of her deflections. He shifted his weight, bringing his thumb and index finger to rest under her chin. “I’m going to ask you one more time,” he said quietly. “And this time, I’d appreciate it if you’d answer me, young lady.” Her eyes widened like saucers as his intonation altered. “How much did you borrow?”
She sighed again, the final remnants of fight leaving her. “Five thousand pounds,” she replied at length.
* * *
It took a moment for the words to register, and for a long time Blake just stared at her in silence, his expression intense. Lauren squirmed under the weight of his gaze, her shame and arousal peaking in equal measure.
“Five thousand pounds?” Blake repeated.
Somehow it sounded even worse when he said it.
“Yes, Sir,” she agreed, fresh tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
Blake tilted his head, his grip on her chin lessening. She eyed his expression desperately, wanting to understand his thoughts. He was clearly shocked and disappointed in her, and the weight of her shame made her slump next to him.
“So.” He sounded hesitant for the first time since they’d met. “You borrowed this money just so you could come out here and bid for me?”
Lauren nodded her head slowly. His articulation of her predicament made her feel all the more ridiculous. “Yes,” she sniffed, moving her right hand to wipe the tears from her face. The fingers at her face stiffened immediately, capturing her attention.
“Lauren.” His tone was calm this time. He was back in control again. “I love that you’ve done this—of course I do—but it sounds as though you’ve borrowed money from the wrong sort of person.”
She sighed, biting her lip nervously. Blake was right. Jack was the absolute wrong sort of man to be indebted to. He was a loan shark with a cruel streak, who had no qualms about making sure his debtors repaid in full. “It will be fine,” she lied, her voice thick with emotion. “So long as I make the repayments on time.”
Blake’s hand stretched out across her left cheek, drawing her face toward him, so they were eye to eye. “I know this is none of my business, sweetheart,” he began, “but I’m going to assume that you can’t make those repayments. If you could, then you probably wouldn’t be borrowing money from a man like him in the first place, and these guys like to take a hefty profit from their loans…” His voice stalled over the final word, and he eventually spat it out with venom.
Lauren eyed him with caution. Why did Blake care if she was in over her neck? Hell, they’d only just met, and while she’d loved the protective dominant routine, he was right—this was none of his business. “It will be fine,” she said, trying to feign the confidence she didn’t feel.
Blake’s eyes narrowed, and somehow, he drew her even closer. “So, you have a plan to repay this guy then, five days after you’re home?”
She flinched at that, unable to hide the fear that prospect drew from her. She’d be back in the UK by then and Jack was going to demand God knows what from her in return for an extended payment period. “W-well, no,” she spluttered, feeling herself fluster once again at his American directness. “But, I’m sure if I talk to him then he’ll…”
“Jack didn’t sound like the type of guy who wants to talk,” Blake interrupted her pitiful display.
Her eyes flickered with fear and uncertainty, and she watched as his face glowered over her. Surveying his gaze, she saw a multitude of emotions. She sensed there was a part of him that wanted to protect her, and she could see the swell of desire inside of him. No doubt he was pissed with her too, and a little disappointed that she’d got herself in deep with scum like Jack, but she hoped her reasoning made it hard for him to stay mad. She’d taken the loan to come here and make this meeting happen. Without her gumption, they’d have never met, and they’d have never had this amazing sex.
“I’ll be able to talk to him,” she said, her voice small and hesitant. She could tell he didn’t believe her, the intensity in his gaze making his free hand fist into a ball.
“How well do you know this guy?” he asked her.
She watched as he tried to quell his rising anger, his intonation making her gulp nervously. Lauren’s eyes widened as she answered. “Not well,” she admitted. “We were introduced by a friend of a friend.”
Blake nodded, and when she looked into his eyes she could see a resolve there that she hadn’t noticed before. “Come here,” he commanded, his tone low and sensual as he removed his hand from her face and opened his arms for an embrace. Lauren didn’t wait to be told again. She scrambled onto his lap like her very essence deepened upon clinging to his body. As she wrapped her arms around his muscular torso, she wished with all her heart that she could just stay here in Big Banks, and forget all about Jack.
* * *
He held her for a while, stemming the low sobs that caught in her throat until she seemed calmer. All the while Blake’s mind raced with what he was going to do to resolve Lauren’s problem. He may have only known her for a few hours, but something in him had shifted in that time. All these years he’d been happy playing the bachelor, watching his friends pair off and settle down while he’d favored his freedom. It sounded ridiculous, but now things felt different. Lauren had sparked something in him, a need for a permanent partner, a woman whose submission would complete him. By the time she roused, he was determined. He was going to help her, and he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
“Blake?”
The sound of her voice startled him from his thoughts, and he shifted his weight to gaze down at her tearstained expression. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.
“Everything feels better when you hold me,” she admitted, laughing softly into his chest at her admission.
He smiled as the words escaped her, his hands clutching her a little tighter. “That’s funny,” he murmured. “You make me feel the same way.”
She sighed contentedly. “Thank you for listening, Sir,” she replied, smiling to herself as her lips fell over the final word. “And for not judging me.”
Blake lifted his hand to her hair, stroking the side of her face gently. “Hey, didn’t I tell you that you could tell me anything?” he told her. “And I’m pleased that you did, even if it was after I pushed you for the information.” His tone altered slightly, becoming edgier as he concluded. Lauren squirmed over him, picking up on the undercurrent in his voice.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “It’s just… we only just met, and I didn’t want to burden you with all of my stupid problems…” She gasped as she realized what she’d said, but it was too late. The words were out there, and Blake had well and truly registered them.
“What was that?” he said in a quiet tone. “Stupid problems?” While he agreed with her sentiment, he’d made his feelings clear on this issue—there was no excuse for putting herself down.
Her body tensed at his question. Evidently, she was well aware of his expectations. Eyeing Lauren’s face, he could see her anxiety, but he also noticed the way her pupils dilated at his tone. She responded to his authority like nobody he’d ever known. “Not stupid,” she corrected herself quickly. “But my problem, nonetheless. I don’t expect you to get involved, Blake.”
He listened to her, smiling at the determination in her voice. The woman had tenacity, that was for sure. “I understand,” he replied, his tone soothing, “but after everything we’ve been through this afternoon, I feel involved, Lauren, and at any rate, you only borrowed the money to come and see me. That makes me complicit.”
She laughed at his reasonin
g. “That’s a kind thought,” she began, “but you’re hardly responsible for my choices, Blake!”
“That may have been true when you borrowed the money,” he went on. “But it’s not true anymore.” He paused, drawing away to assess her expression. “At least, not for me at any rate.”
She shifted, swallowing hard at his explanation. “What do you mean, Sir?” she asked, her voice quiet as she gazed into his large blue eyes.
“Don’t play coy with me, young lady,” he replied, his tone bossy, but playful. “Getting to know you today has been truly amazing. Now, I know it’s only day one, but if you’re still interested, then…” He hesitated again, watching her excited eyes widen at his words. “I’d like to take this thing further.”
Lauren’s face radiated with shock, her lips parting although no words were spoken.
“Are you, Lauren?” His voice cut through her apparent reeling thought process.
She blinked at him, her expression portraying her confusion. “Am I what, Sir?” she inquired.
“Are you still interested?” he asked, concluding his sentence with a wry smile.
Lauren was shaking her head as she answered, as though she could hardly believe the nerve of the guy. “Yes, Sir,” she laughed, slapping his chest playfully. “I am still interested! But what about the practicalities? I mean, I have to go back to the UK soon, and…”
He halted her words with one finger, which he pressed against her mouth. She gaped at him, scowling at the exasperating act that had silenced her. “Don’t worry about the details now,” he told her. “When do you have to leave?” His heart sank a little as he considered the prospect, but he knew it was true. She may have been born in Montana, but in so many ways, she seemed more British than American now.
“In four days,” she murmured, her gaze hypnotized by the look in his eye.
“Alright then,” he replied, grinning at her. “Well, that’s plenty of time to play and get to know each other a little more, don’t you think?” He threw her a salacious wink as he concluded, and she blushed at him.
“Yes,” she whispered in agreement, “but what about Jack? He’s bound to call again, and I’ll need to make that repayment one way or the other.”
Blake’s expression hardened at the sound of the other man’s name. “I don’t want you to worry about him,” he told her, his tone unforgiving. “When he calls again, I’ll deal with him, and I’ll be making that repayment. I don’t want you in debt because of me.”
Lauren’s eyes widened at that. “No way, Blake,” she countered at once. “I mean, thank you and all. I love how much you want to take care of me, I really do…” She paused at that, her eyes closing briefly as the realization washed over her. “But this is not your problem. It’s not your debt.”
He was already shaking his head as she opened her eyes. “Do you remember what I told you?” he asked her, pulling her right against his body. The towel at his groin left little to the imagination, and she writhed over his lap reflexively. “I like to be in charge and take care of things, Lauren. I want to take care of you, sweetheart. You don’t have to be on your own anymore, not if you don’t want to be.”
She glanced up at his face, swallowing out of instinct. “Blake, are you serious?” Lauren’s voice was hoarse, the enormity of what he was suggesting evidently dawning on her. “You’d really help me, with the money I mean?”
Blake smiled at her. He couldn’t believe she was even asking. Hadn’t he just told her so? “Lauren, of course I will. I have plenty set aside. I’ll repay this debt to Jack,” his tone changed as he forced the name from between his lips, “and you can pay me back in manageable sums. Plus, I think I should pay half for today anyway. It seems only fair, since I’ve had the pleasure of using the cabin just the same as you?”
She blinked up at him, barely believing what she was hearing. “R-really?” she spluttered. “But no, I mean. I can’t ask you to do that, it’s my debt and…”
His mouth captured her words and concluded her sentence there and then. She seemed shocked by his agility, her mouth initially tensing as his lips claimed her, but she soon yielded. A carnal moan escaped her throat as the kiss concluded, and as Blake drew away from her, his gaze was intense and unrelenting.
“You never asked me, sweetheart,” he told her sensually. “I told you. I’m going to take charge of this situation, and I will deal with it.” There was a pause, and then he allowed a small smirk to creep onto his handsome features. “If that’s alright with you?” He added the final part with a sardonic tone in his voice, and she couldn’t help but laugh at him.
“It just isn’t right, Blake,” she replied eventually. “You barely know me.”
Blake drew her damp hair into his hand, drawing her head away from him gently. Wordlessly, his mouth moved in on her nape, and he trailed a line of hot caresses at her throat. “I know what I feel,” he purred. “Lauren, listen, I was your hero once before. Let me be him again. Let me always be that man for you.”
She gulped, her eyes tearing at his sentiment. “I… I don’t know what to say,” she murmured. Her breaths were coming out in short, fast bursts.
Blake’s expression softened. “Tell me how you feel,” he suggested, as he played with the loose strands of her fair hair at her exposed shoulder. “Would you like me to be that man?”
“Yes,” she replied at once. “But I don’t want to feel beholden to you, Blake.” He could tell she was trying to keep her voice calm as his insistent gaze burned into her skin.
He eyed her, somehow fascinated by her responses. Lauren was so naturally beautiful, yet so clearly didn’t have a clue just how beguiling she was. Something about that innocence made him hard. He wanted to take it and claim it. He wanted to corrupt it.
“I get that,” he told her, caressing her tantalizing nape. “But you won’t be. We’ll agree on terms for the repayment of half of what you borrowed. We’ll work it out and I’ll have a contract drawn up if it’ll make you feel better.”
She nodded, liking the sound of that arrangement. “Yes, Sir, thank you,” she smiled, and her body relaxed for the first time since she’d walked back into the bedroom.
Chapter Eighteen
He held her for a while, before taking the towel from her body and drying her hair. Lauren reveled in the act, certain that no one had ever taken care of her this this way before. Blake shifted from the bed, wondering to a nearby dresser, and grasping a sturdy-looking hairbrush. Her heart picked up its pace as he approached with it, his face looking determined.
“I love your hair,” he told her as he knelt behind her on the bed. “And I’ve been wanting to brush it ever since I set eyes on you.”
“That would be lovely,” she replied, aware that she was flushing as she spoke. The familiar heat was rising to her cheeks, and there was no way to halt its progress.
The brush moved through her locks, and he tugged against her gently as he drew it down the length of her back. The act was so soothing that she allowed her eyes to fall closed, enjoying each sensation.
“There is one more thing I’d like to say on the subject of your loan.”
Lauren tensed at his words. Something about his tone was predatory, making her clench the muscles between her thighs. “What’s that, Sir?” she replied, feigning a confidence she didn’t feel.
Blake pulled the brush down the left side of her head, and seemingly satisfied, he let the implement land on the covers next to her.
“Turn around,” he ordered.
Only two words, but they sent the butterflies in her belly reeling. She knew that tone in his voice, having already heard it today. Taking a deep breath, Lauren complied, shifting to face Blake. The small towel at his waist did nothing to hide his growing arousal. The thought was distracting.
“I meant what I said,” he began, and the sound of his voice drew her attention north to meet his face. “I want to be with you, to protect you, to guide you, and I am definitely going to get you out of this mess with
Jack.”
“But?” Her voice sounded hesitant as she answered, and she could feel her heart hammering in her chest. If Blake was having second thoughts about all this, then she needed to know.
“But nothing,” he told her firmly. “I meant what I said, and I stand by it.”
Lauren’s lips parted, but she closed her mouth again. If he wasn’t having second thoughts, then what was this all about?
“I wanted to address another issue, although it is related to the money.” He hesitated, gazing down at her as though he was about to deliver some salacious verdict.
Lauren bit her lower lip as nervous energy coursed through her. Blake’s voice had deepened, taking on that more commanding edge that made her nipples pebble. She had a sense about where this was going, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. “What’s that, Sir?” she asked timidly.
“Well,” he continued, shifting from his knees to sit beside her again. “I understand why you borrowed the money, and as we’ve discussed, I’m glad that you did, or else we’d never have met.”
There was a pause, and Lauren’s eyes flitted to meet his gaze. It was obvious to her that whatever was coming next was going to be pivotal.
“All that being true, I have to say I still think the way you went about borrowing the money was questionable.” Blake’s voice was hard now, making Lauren’s throat dry instinctively. “I don’t know anything about your finances, but it must have been clear to you that a man like Jack wasn’t a great option. It sounds like you barely knew him, and you borrowed the cash knowing full well you couldn’t pay him.”
Lauren’s face flamed at his reasoning, and her gaze lowered to her knees. A spike of indignation rose in her, burning inside her chest. She fought to contain her petulance, knowing what that would earn her. Worse though was the wave of shame that crashed over her, because she knew deep down he was right. She had been a fool to borrow from a man like Jack. She had blindly accepted the money, choosing to ignore the likely ramifications because she was so desperate to get out here and meet Blake. But now, sitting in front of him, her decision seemed ridiculous, and Lauren knew if he wasn’t about to bail her out, she’d be in big trouble when she got home.