Bare Your Soul

by Rochelle Paige

  “None of it’s really my style since any one of these outfits probably costs more than my entire wardrobe,” I confessed as I glanced down at the dress I was wearing, feeling guilty for loving it so much.

  His hand tightened on mine until my eyes met his again. “But if money were no object, are these the types of things you’d buy for yourself?”

  “Maybe,” I admitted. “But I’d probably go for more casual stuff—jeans, sandals, yoga pants. I’m not a very formal person.”

  He nodded his head, as though agreeing with my assessment of myself. “It’s one of the things I like best about you.”

  “What is?”

  “How comfortable you seem just being yourself.”

  Really, how could I argue with a guy who said things like that? Who liked me for me? You couldn’t, which was how I found myself being led to his car without any argument about how much money he’d spent on me.

  “We’ve got one more stop,” Morgan said as he headed in the opposite direction of the house.

  “I’m not sure how that’s possible, considering everything you’ve already bought for me today,” I replied.

  “It’s not like I can’t afford it,” he retorted. “Besides, it’s all stuff you need because you’ve become a part of my life. Please keep that in mind during this stop.”

  “You can’t buy me a car,” I protested as Morgan pulled into the Audi dealership.

  “I can do whatever the hell I want to do,” he retorted, parking the Maserati in front of the building before turning to look at me.

  “I already have a car.”

  He laughed lightly and the raspy sound sent goosebumps up my arms. “I don’t think it’s fair to call that rust-bucket a car.”

  “Hey! My mom loved that car,” I grumbled.

  “Angel,” he sighed as he used his forefinger to lift my chin until I was looking into his eyes. “I’m not saying you have to get rid of your mom’s car if it means something to you. I have plenty of garage space to store it, but when you aren’t riding with me, you will be driving a car that I know is safe.”

  “So bossy,” I muttered.

  “Better get used to it,” he retorted as he lifted my hand to his mouth to place a kiss on my palm. “Now let’s go get you a car.”

  “Do I at least get to pick which one?” I asked sarcastically, pretty sure I knew the answer.

  “As long as it’s the newest A7 with all the bells and whistles and you want it in white or silver, then yes you can pick whichever one you want,” he replied with a hint of humor in his tone.

  When we got out of his car and entered the dealership, a gorgeous blond dressed in a sexy business suit with a short skirt was waiting for us. Her eyes swept up Morgan’s body and appreciation flashed in them before they took in the sight of his arm wrapped around my back as he guided me towards her. After spending the day watching all the shop girls flirting their asses off, I was impressed with how quickly her expression cleared as she smiled at me and held out her hand.

  “Welcome to Audi,” she greeted us. “I’m Reagan.”

  Morgan and I shook her hand and he swiftly turned the conversation towards the car he was looking to buy me. She walked us over to a display model and rattled off all the features and mechanical mumbo-jumbo as I sat in the driver’s seat and tried to lift my jaw off the floor after seeing the sticker price in the window. It was damn close to six figures and the cost of this car would pay for my entire college education.

  “You really can’t buy me this car,” I whispered to Morgan. “I’ll concede to the need for something safer, but there are literally a thousand other cars you could buy me which would be a major improvement on my car but wouldn’t cost a small fortune.”

  I hadn’t lowered my voice enough and Reagan overhead me. Her gaze darted to the window, looking out at Morgan’s Maserati before returning to my face. An amused grin tilted her lips and her eyes lit with humor. “I’m pretty sure if you argue too hard, he might find another model which costs more.”

  Morgan’s chuckle drew my attention away from her. He looked relaxed and happy, but I knew there was a core of steel hidden underneath the surface. Reagan was right. Resistance would probably result in him choosing something even more outlandish. So, I caved and let him buy me an Audi.

  Chapter 8

  Morgan

  If someone had told me two weeks ago that I’d have my Angel living in my house and with me around the clock, I would have told them they were fucking crazy. Especially if they had said I wouldn’t have slept with her yet since I wasn’t even in the habit of spending this much time with the women who I took to bed. But here I was, driving her back from a visit to her hometown to pack up the last of her belongings because I couldn’t stand the idea of her doing it on her own. I’d even insisted she bring back the few pieces of furniture she said she had wanted to keep of her mom’s. The odds of any of it fitting in with all the shit the designer had put in my place were slim to none, but it was worth it to see her eyes light up when I made the offer.

  “I told you I could handle this by myself,” the object of my new obsession muttered from the passenger seat of the pickup truck I’d rented for the day.

  My hope when we’d headed out early this morning was that she would sleep most of the way there since she looked so damn tired but that hadn’t happened, so I’d turned on some classical music in the hope that she’d finally catch a nap on the way home. “And I told you no way in hell was that gonna happen.”

  Angelica’s head whipped in my direction as the snap in my tone made it clear she was starting to piss me off. “Yeah, you did but then you were super quiet all the way to my mom’s. And although it was good to have your help, you didn’t have much to say as we packed up my stuff and loaded the truck. We’ve been in here together for two more hours and you haven’t said a single word to me the whole way home.”

  “Shit,” I mumbled, knowing better than to tell her that the nap I’d hope she would have taken would have done wonders to improve the shit mood she had woken up with this morning. “You seemed so fragile when we left the house this morning. I didn’t want to do anything to make today any worse for you than it already was.”

  “You’re right,” she whispered. “Today sucked but not for the reasons I thought it would have when I woke up this morning. Instead of feeling sad about leaving the home I shared with my mom, I’ve been worrying about what’s going on inside your head and why you’ve been silently brooding all day and thinking that maybe it’s because you felt like you had better things to do than waste your day helping me.”

  Her timing was impeccable because I’d just turned into our driveway and parked the car so I could give her all my attention. “The time I spend with you is never a waste, Angel.”

  “Then why did it seem like you wished you were anywhere other than with me today?” she asked, sounding hurt and lost.

  “Because there was nothing I could do to take the pain away for you,” I admitted softly.

  “I didn’t ask you to,” she murmured, tears welling in her eyes.

  “You need to get used to me taking care of you.”

  She looked at me with such confusion on her face it made me sad. “But why?”

  “Because I always take care of what’s mine.”

  “I might work for you, but that doesn’t make me yours,” she huffed.

  My eyes narrowed as the urge to prove how wrong her words were overwhelmed me. “I guess I need to show you that you’re mine then.”

  Her lips parted, most likely so she could argue with me, but I didn’t give her a chance as I took full advantage of the opening. Fisting my fingers in her hair, I held her in place as my lips brushed against hers. Her mouth slammed shut and I tugged lightly on her hair until she gasped. My tongue slid inside and found hers and they tangled together, her hands slowly crept up my back and her body softened against mine.

  My cock throbbed with need and if I didn’t pull away soon, I wasn’t sure I would be abl
e to stop. As much as I was enjoying this kiss, I knew I couldn’t take her in the cab of a rented truck while parked in my driveway. Even if we were somewhere else, it wasn’t the time because she was vulnerable. I wanted her to come to me with eyes wide open.

  As I tore my mouth from hers, a groan slid up my throat. I’d never had trouble with control before I met her, but she ripped it to shred anytime she was near. The taste of her lips was enough to make my cock rock hard, and looking at how swollen they were from my kiss made it virtually impossible to step away from her. Looking into her eyes and seeing the doubt mixed with passion, I somehow found the strength to pull away.

  “Why don’t you head up to your room and take a bath before trying to take a nap?” I suggested.

  She slowly nodded her head in agreement, and I helped her out of the truck and watched her as she walked up the stairs before going into my office. Once I got there, I stared blindly at my computer, reliving the kiss I’d just shared with Angelica. I was no green boy but the taste of her lips was enough to almost make me come in my pants—a-fucking-gain. I wasn’t innocent, I’d slept with more than my fair share of women in the past but I hadn’t even so much as looked at another woman since she’d walked into my life. If I was smart, I’d give her a scholarship to pay for school and set her up in an apartment somewhere far, far away from me.

  My heart beating wildly in my chest, I opened the browser on my computer and pulled up listings of available rentals near campus. I’d ruled out several of them before my phone rang. I picked up the call without looking to see who it was as I absentmindedly clicked through more options but none of them were good enough for Angelica.

  “Cadwell,” I answered and was surprised to hear Brecken’s voice respond since he was supposed to be out of town and had already emailed me the background check on Angelica the morning after we’d talked a couple weeks ago.

  “I just made it stateside and wanted to check in with you to make sure things were going okay with your girl.”

  “My girl,” I murmured in response, surprised by the jolt I felt hearing someone else call her mine.

  “Yeah, it sure sounded like she was yours when you called me to run a background check on her,” he chuckled.

  “Are you so fucking curious about my shit that you had to call me the second you got back?” I grumbled.

  “I wish that was just it,” he admitted. “But I got some new information and I’m a little worried.”

  “Fuck,” I sighed. “What is it?”

  “Are you sure Angelica is as innocent as she appears on paper?” he asked.

  There hadn’t been a single thing in his report that worried me. Nothing but a young girl who’d been dealt a shitty hand and was trying her best to move past the death of her mom. I didn’t know where his concern was coming from, but I had no doubt she was exactly what she seemed to be. The innocence in her eyes was no lie. Her resistance when we went shopping was real. Not once had she asked me for a single thing except to spend time together.

  “I’m sure,” I answered. “But I’d like to know what you learned that has you doubting her.”

  “Her dad’s connected to some bad people and I wouldn’t be your friend if I didn’t at least stop to consider that maybe he’s using her to get to your wallet,” he explained. “I’ve seen her picture man. She’s young, hot as fuck and smart as hell based on what I learned before. It’s not impossible to believe that someone might have thought she’d be perfect bait for you and placed her in your club for you to find.”

  “It’s impossible once you get to know her, Brecken. She could have taken the easy way out and barely lifted a finger as my assistant, but instead she’s somehow managed to figure out every little thing she can do to make my life easier. Besides, if that was the case, she’d already have found her way into my bed, don’t you think?”

  Brecken’s laughter sputtered through the line. “It’s been weeks, man. Are you trying to tell me you have that hottie in your house and you haven’t even fucked her yet?”

  “Don’t fucking talk about her like that,” I warned.

  “Calm the fuck down, Morgan. I didn’t mean anything by it,” he apologized. “But I gotta admit, I’m shocked as shit that you haven’t slept with her yet when she’s living in your home.”

  “You wrote the goddamn report on her yourself. You tell me—what was missing from it?”

  There was silence on the other end of the line as Brecken considered what I was implying. “No boyfriends,” he finally murmured as he realized what that meant. “I didn’t dig too deep but are you telling me the reason I didn’t find one is because she’s never been with anyone else?”

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m telling you.”

  “Well there goes my honeypot theory since only an idiot would use a virgin to play a playboy like you,” he conceded.

  Chapter 9

  Angelica

  Living and working with Morgan had been a lesson in torture. Seeing him day in and day out evoked feelings in me I wasn’t familiar with. I’d begun dreaming about him night after night—hot and dirty fantasies of Morgan taking my virginity and giving me orgasm after orgasm. For about a week, I’d been waking up panting, my heart racing and my panties drenched. And quite often with my hand down those panties.

  This morning was no different. My head was filled with all the images from my dreams last night as my finger frantically circled my clit. It wasn’t going to take much to send me over the edge. I’d already been so close when I woke up.

  My legs had just started to tremble when there was a sharp rap on my door. I whipped my hand out of my panties, but I wasn’t quick enough. My eyes flew up to Morgan’s knowing gaze. I’d been busted masturbating to thoughts of him first thing in the morning. I would have been mortified if he wasn’t stalking my way with a determined gleam in his eyes as he knelt on the bed and climbed over me.

  “You need to come?” he purred, his fingers wrapped around my wrist, holding my hand away from my pussy. “You do it on some part of my body. My fingers, my tongue or my cock. Your pick.”

  “We haven’t even done anything yet,” I practically whined.

  “When I finally sink my cock inside that sweet pussy of yours, it’ll only be once I know you won’t regret it afterward. You’ll be with me all the way and enjoying every second of it,” he explained.

  The promise in his voice made it crystal clear that he meant every word of what he’d just said. Although Morgan kept me away from the dancers for the most part, I’d heard talk at the club about what he’d been like before I came along. Apparently, he used to have quite the revolving door to his bed, but I hadn’t seen any evidence of it since I’d been around. No dinners out with other women or whispered conversations. His attention was focused solely on me and he hadn’t gotten a single thing out of it yet.

  Knowing he was willing to wait so long without pressuring me made me wish I was ready, but there was a part of me that wasn’t. It was hard to understand what Morgan saw in me—what set me apart from all the other women he’d been with before we met. The doubts had faded over the last month but they hadn’t disappeared altogether. “I think I’m almost there.”

  His lips tilted in a smug grin. “I’m glad to hear it, but I’m not gonna let you go in need while you figure this shit out. Not when I can do something about it.”

  “Like what?” I gulped.

  “I’m going to give you the best orgasm of your life,” he promised.

  “But no sex?” I asked disbelievingly, stunned that he was offering to make me come without taking me.

  “That’s why I’m gonna have you keep your panties on,” he breathed into my ear. “I need that visible barrier to remind me now’s not the time to take your cherry. But don’t worry baby, I’ll make it good for you.”

  His body pressed me into the mattress as he captured my lips in a punishing kiss, his tongue tangling with mine. I groaned into his mouth and tugged on his shirt so I could run my fingers over his
warm skin. Morgan broke the kiss and let me drag his shirt over his head. When I saw those tight, flexing muscles, all I wanted to do was lick my way along their ridges. Before I had a chance, he slid lower down my body and tugged my shirt up until his tongue was able to flick over my nipple.

  “Morgan,” I moaned, gripping his hair in an effort to pull him closer.

  “Your tits taste so fucking good,” he murmured. “For weeks, I’ve watched other men as they’ve practically licked their lips staring at these, wanting to be where I am right now. But they’ll never get the chance because they’re mine. Aren’t they?”

  “Yes,” I hissed when he sucked my puckered nipple into his mouth, tugging until it hit the roof of his mouth. I felt each pull deep in my belly, making my pussy grow wetter with each tug. Before long, my legs parted and hugged his hips.

  “Spread them as far as you can,” he instructed, one hand gripping my knee and squeezing. “Show me how much you want me.”

  His heated gaze flared even hotter when I let my legs fall open until I was spread-eagle on the bed with the silky material from my drenched panties stretched tautly against my damp flesh. His eyes dropped lower and his lips tilted into a satisfied smirk before he traced his fingertips over my pussy. His touch was light at first, but it still made my hips jerk in response. It was so much sexier than when I touched myself, without knowing exactly what was going to come next.

  “Please, Morgan,” I whimpered.

  He dropped down to his knees between my spread legs and gripped my hip with one hand while the other inched the gusset of my panties to the side. I watched raptly as his head lowered, my eyes finally squeezing shut when his tongue delved between my pussy lips and then swiped upward to stroke my clit.

  “Holy crap,” I gasped. He chuckled lightly, his hot breath against my skin. It felt good, but I wanted his mouth back on me. And I wanted it now. I reached down and threaded my fingers through his hair, tugging lightly as my hips lifted off the mattress.