Alexandra,
Wear this tonight when you come to the club. Be ready, you’ll be here awhile.
--Roman
She approached the package with trepidation, not knowing what he could have sent for her to wear. She put it in her lap, away from prying eyes, lifting up the lid to show the black demi bra with pearls along the top and matching underwear, garter belt, and stockings. It wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be, but she couldn’t resist baiting him.
Alexandra: Is that a threat or a promise?
Roman: It’s both. Be ready for your punishment tonight. I will be.
What the hell was that supposed to mean? She wanted to question him, but her alarm went off, telling her she was due in court in thirty minutes. She gathered up her package so she could leave it in her car. Why did she agree to Blair’s crazy plan again? Sex, that was why. She wanted sex. Quick, uncomplicated sex. But nothing with Roman Valentine was turning into being quick and uncomplicated.
“Alexandra,” Henry called her as she walked toward the elevator.
“Yes, sir?” She turned back, not wanting to rush him but needing to get to the courthouse. He ambled toward her until he stood right in front of her.
“Where are we on the Williams case?”
“Heading there now.” She held up her folder, showing the information she would need for the day, hoping he took the hint she needed to leave. She still hadn’t opened the envelope Franklin gave her the day before, but she’d get to it this weekend.
“I got a phone call from him yesterday, and I wanted to make sure you knew how important this case was for the firm.” Shit. The asshole called after I brushed him off yesterday.
“I understand, sir. I am working to ensure he wins this case, and like I said in the meeting the other day, it should be a simple matter to resolve.”
He ran his finger along his lip, contemplating what she told him. “Ah, yes, the meeting the other day. The one where we talked about making you partner?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Well, make sure you win this case, because we can’t lose Mr. Williams’s account if we plan on expanding our partnership to include someone else.”
She nodded; there was no other response. She understood the expectation to continue to win cases, but he never made it sound like Franklin’s case would be the deciding factor. Turning around, she pressed the down button on the elevator so she could leave.
“So make sure you’re focused on the cases that are important, not the ones we accept for free.”
“Excuse me?” Surely he wasn’t implying she shouldn’t work on the Davis case knowing he was innocent.
“You know, sometimes we just need to leave well enough alone. I told you before, some cases are just worth a plea bargain.” She had always respected Henry, and she’d never questioned him, but there was no way she could do what he asked of her. The elevator dinged behind her. She walked inside, facing the open doors while she pressed the bottom floor several times. “And if they’re innocent?” she bit out.
Henry pointed at her. “Then we leave well enough alone, or else we get more than we bargained for.”
10
Roman pulled himself from his desk when he got Marco’s call. He had big plans for Alexandra that night, and she was going to see what it meant to go against what he said. He was riding on a good mood, prompted in part from the phone call from Survive and Thrive that afternoon, and wanted to make sure he got his paperwork submitted the following day so he’d get on the list for the banquet for the week after. He’d told himself Alexandra was another lay, albeit a gorgeous one he’d agreed to keep an exclusive sexual relationship with for the next couple months, but they were strictly friends with benefits. That night was needed to get back on an even keel because the other day he’d grown too close.
He’d sent the package that morning to get a rise out of her. He knew how hell-bent she was on keeping their relationship under wraps, and he wanted to remind them both of their original purpose. It would be, but he couldn’t resist goading her, something else new for him. She was getting to him. He was already looking forward to their liaisons a bit too much, one of the reasons he was irritated the previous night.
“She’s in the requested room, sir, and I gave her the note you left.” He’d told her to strip down to the lingerie he’d picked out for her and lie down on the bed. His leg bounced, nervous energy coursing through his veins. He’d been denied this the day before, and he’d get his reward today. After waiting five more minutes, enough time for her to stew and wonder what he wanted, he went to her. He’d given his staff strict instructions not to disturb him unless it was an emergency, a first for him, because Alexandra would have his undivided attention that night.
He opened the door, impressed she’d done as he asked. She was on the bed with her legs crossed at her ankles, not acknowledging his appearance. He stood, hands on hips, taking in the temptress before him. Her dark hair was curling wildly down one shoulder, eyes shining with desire and trepidation. He only asked one question, but it was the one that mattered.
“Do you trust me?”
She raised an eyebrow, her lip twitching. “If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t be here.”
Roman nodded because no other words were necessary. He grabbed the blindfold he’d laid out earlier.
“Last time to say no.”
“Do it.” He tied the blindfold, aware of the ragged breath she made, understanding this was outside her comfort zone. She was used to being in charge, but she would find out quickly he was the one in charge in there. He dragged a finger across her stomach, watching the muscles quiver at his contact before rubbing the sensitive spot above the top of her panties. He removed her bra and panties before he continued glide his fingers along her body, touching everywhere, the sensation causing her to shift her legs. Roman grabbed her legs, pressing them wide and lying between them, breathing over her pussy, causing her whole body to shiver.
“I can smell you,” he whispered. “You want this?”
“Hmm…” she moaned, trying to move closer. He leaned back, not giving her what she wanted.
“I told you I would punish you.” He leaned down and bite her thigh playfully, feeling the rush of pleasure when she yelped. He was going to make her wait, but after licking her once, he was unable to be so close without tasting her.
“Sweet as sugar,” he told her, taking in the way she white-knuckled the sheets. He walked to the cooler, grabbing an ice cube before going back over to her.
“Tell me what you feel,” he told her, putting the ice cube on her stomach without warning. She gasped, jerking her hips up, but he wouldn’t let her up, holding her in place as he rubbed the ice around her stomach.
“It’s…cold,” she gasped out, shivering in the wake of the ice. He rubbed it while it melted, licking the trail of water where the ice had been. She seemed to wait with baited breath for his next move, but he wanted to touch her, inserting one finger then another in her slick passage.
“You’re soaked,” he told her, thrusting in and out before leaning up for a kiss. She met his lips, deepening the kiss when he would have pulled back. Her walls clenched around him. He knew it would take a few well-placed strokes to get her off, but she needed to wait. He pulled his fingers out, grinning at her groan of frustration.
“Not fair.” She pouted. He leaned forward and bit her bottom lip.
“Don’t care,” he said, grabbing the vibrator she seemed to enjoy the other night, starting it on the lowest setting. Not enough to bring her to an orgasm, just enough to tease. Her breath quickened as the whirl of the vibrator filled the room, and she seemed poised, waiting for his next move.
“Do you know how to tell whether you can handle the vibrations of your toy?”
“No.”
He moved to her ear, biting the lobe. “You put it on the tip of your nose,” he answered at the same time he touched the end to the tip of her nose. She flinched and tried to move away, but he p
ressed it on her once again. “The nose is just as sensitive, so if you can't handle it on the tip, it would be too strong down below.”
She seemed to take the next time a little better, probably because she knew what was coming, but she still squirmed, wanting him to get on with it. Roman decided to put her out of her misery, kneeling at the foot of the bed between her spread legs, working the vibrator inside her before turning up the speed. She writhed, moaning as he moved the toy for maximum effect. He took her hands and positioned them on the headboard. Her knuckles whitened against the slabs, her feet dug into the bed, trying to work the vibrator where she wanted it. He held her down, not wanting her to come.
“Let…me…come,” she begged between gasps, her teeth pressed so hard to her bottom lip she was going to draw blood. He reached up and pulled her bottom lip out of the grasp of her front teeth. Tiny beads of sweat had formed on her forehead, and he couldn’t resist the kiss if he tried. He kissed her for reassurance because he could no longer stare at the woman who’d handed herself to him and not touch her intimately. And not just with sex.
Everyone thought sex was intimate, and in some ways it was, but it was the connection that mattered. Knowing your body and soul belonged to someone else, however temporary, created a moment so heartbreakingly beautiful people spent their whole life chasing it. That wasn’t sex. Sex was hot bodies, slick words, and jumbling hands seeking pleasure anyway you could get it. It was heady and in some ways selfish. He wanted the connection he felt they had in the too-brief moments they’d touched, which scared him most of all. Wanting, needing her, and not having her.
He shook his head, alarmed where his thoughts were headed, and decided to finish her. He reached down, rubbing his finger against her clit, and the air crackled in anticipation.
“I’m…” She tried to speak but couldn’t, her head thrown back and her mouth falling open as she gasped. He watched her, not moving, riding out her orgasm before he turned off the vibrator and pulled it out. There were no words, the only sounds coming from her heavy breathing. He needed a minute; he was rock-hard and seeking relief, but unable to fuck her. She’d already gotten too close for comfort, but damned if he wasn’t going to shove his cock between those waiting lips. He repositioned her so she was kneeling on the floor in front of him. His hands went to his pants but she stopped him, putting her hands over his.
“Let me,” she whispered, feeling rather than seeing the front of his slacks. They got rid of his clothes and he sat down on the bed. She palmed his erection, giving it a couple of strokes. Putting her lips to the tip, she moaned before darting her tongue out to taste him. She ran her tongue down the length of him, playing with his sac while she did it, before taking him deep. She worked him in and out, her hands at his base, jerking him. Roman could do nothing but put his hands in her hair, holding her still while he fucked her mouth. He lay with his head back, stomach muscles quivering, unable to think straight.
“Alexandra,” he warned, letting her know he was close. He gripped her hair, calling her name again. She ignored him, continuing to massage his balls. Roman came on a groan, his eyes rolling back while he shot his load into her mouth. She continued to suck him until he softened before pulling him out with an audible pop.
The corner of her lips tipped up as she laid her head on his thigh, still blindfolded. Roman took it off to stare into her beautiful brown eyes which seemed to hold him captive. He pulled her up to kiss her, tasting himself, and felt his lax cock stir again. She stood over him, her hands buried in his hair while he deepened the kiss, their tongues dueling while he grabbed her hips and moved her onto the bed. He leaned over her, never breaking the kiss, laying her across the pillows.
“I want you,” she whispered when they broke the kiss.
“You have me,” he assured her, reaching into the bedside table for a condom. She took it from him, holding eye contact with him when she took the package and ripped it open before she rolled it over his erection. She leaned back while he guided his cock to her opening. He pushed the tip in and out, enough of a taste but not what she wanted.
“Fuck me,” she commanded, grunting when he pushed himself into her with no finesse.
“You like that?” He held still, knowing she wasn’t getting enough to make her come, but loving the torture. She took control, pushing his shoulders and rolling so she straddled him, buried to the hilt, laughing at his stunned face.
“I. Said. Fuck. Me,” she ordered between kisses, rubbing her hands down his body. Alexandra pressed on his chest, lifting herself up and down, obtaining the friction she craved. She’d found her sweet spot, if the sounds she was making were any indication, and Roman watched her, breasts bouncing as she ground herself on him. Unwilling to lay there any longer, he pulled up, his mouth covering her right breast, sucking one while he pinched the other between his fingers. Her nipple pebbled, and he moved his mouth from one breast to the other, his hands holding on to her hips as she continued her ministrations. He pulled her off him, arranging her so she was kneeling on the bed facing the headboard, her ass in the air. He rubbed her ass before slapping it. She hissed, her back arching like a cat, and tried to push back into him.
“Count.” She turned her head toward him, eyes sparkling, nodding before he slapped her again.
“One,” came out on a breathy moan.
“Louder.” The crack vibrated in the quiet room, the only other sound her panting.
“Two.” She moaned, her head dipping down toward the bed. “I…need…” she gasped out, but Roman acted like he didn’t hear. He repeated it three more times, kissing the red marks his hand made when he was done, not giving her any warning before he slammed into her.
She screamed his name, her profile so erotic he almost came from watching her. Roman reached up, grabbing her breasts while he plunged into her from behind. She flipped her head to the side and he took advantage, leaning forward to bite where her shoulder met her neck.
She came apart in his arms, would have fallen face first into the mattress if he wasn’t holding on to her. He soon followed, his release coming in hot spurts. She collapsed on the bed the minute he let go of her. He joined her, resting his head against the pillows and gripping her wrist, pulling her over so she could place her head on his shoulder, her breaths becoming deeper.
“Babe,” he whispered, kissing her lips as he rubbed her back, but she simply grunted in response.
“Alexandra,” he tried again, but she didn’t move. He ignored her, taking care of himself in the bathroom attached to the room.
The girl is a sleeper, he mused, coming back in the room to see her asleep on the bed. Again. It was enough to give him a complex, even though he knew she’d gotten off.
“I didn’t expect you to pass out on me. Again,” he told her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. She barely stirred, keeping her eyes closed. Sleeping wasn’t part of their agreement, but he couldn’t bring himself to disturb her. He did the only thing he felt he could and left her a note so she would call him when she woke and he could walk her out. She seemed restless when awake, so it was nice to see her take a minute and be still. He glanced at the clock, realizing he’d spent too long with her already, and kissed her forehead before he walked out the door, closing it so he wouldn’t disturb his own grown-up naughty version of sleeping beauty. He walked into his office, unsurprised to find his brother staring at the monitors.
“Can I help you?” he asked Quinn, who grinned wolfishly.
“Yeah, who’s the brunette you’ve been holed up in your room with for the past couple of hours?”
Possessiveness rose up in Roman. “She’s none of your business.”
Quinn’s eyebrows rose to his forehead. “It’s like that? It’s not Alexandra Kane, is it?”
Roman sat down behind his desk, saying nothing.
“It is.” Quinn chuckled, clapping his hands and rubbing them together. “I can’t believe you’re keeping this up. Does she know why you want the house?”
Roman
rubbed his hands over his forehead, not wanting to explain the situation to his brother. If he told his brother, it would mean his cousin Rachel, or God forbid, his aunt would find out, and there was no way he was going to be answering their questions. How do you explain a relationship you don’t understand yourself? “Look, it’s complicated. I haven’t told her why I want the house, but I don’t think she’d care anyway. She’s not attached to it, and she can ensure it’s sold to me. Just know she’s mine, and she’s off limits.” They’d been in a relationship for a few weeks already, he’d seen her multiple times, and he couldn’t help but wonder how different their relationship would be if they met in a different set of circumstances. If he didn’t hate her father.
“Damn, dude, calm your tits. Nobody’s trying to take her from you. I’m pointing out you’re different with her, and I’m not sure it’s for the best, given the fact you plan to bulldoze her family’s old vacation home. I bet you haven’t even told her how you feel about her father.”
“How about you let me handle my woman?”
“Your woman? Roman, tell me you aren’t developing feelings for this woman.”
“Not likely. Now, do you have something for me, or you wanna keep gossiping like a little bitch?”
“I came by because I figured you’d want to know what was going on with the Arrows’ divorce. You better be prepared; Gerald is coming after you.”
***
“I can’t believe I fell asleep again,” Alexandra chastised herself over an hour later while she quickly pulled on her clothes. She grabbed the phone in the wall and called Roman, respecting his wishes that he escort her out of the club. He ran a pretty tight ship so there was no reason for her to need him so she could leave, but he told her he took care of his own. Telling her he was sending an escort because he was busy, she opened the door to an attractive man who resembled Roman.
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