by Julia Sykes
Now was the time to pull back, before either of them got more involved. He had promised Shay a weekend, and that was what she had gotten. She couldn’t expect more from him than simply what he had promised. It would be difficult having to work with her in the coming months, to resist her, but that was simply what he would have to do.
Man up, Cross, he ordered himself.
He was still frowning when Shay opened her eyes, but at least his cock wasn’t hard for her anymore.
Shay didn’t understand. Had she done something wrong? Lucas had hardly touched her all day. She hadn’t realized how much she had relished his touch, the feeling of his strong fingers gripping her, until it was gone.
Any hint of his softer nature that he had shown her in the past was gone, but it hadn’t been replaced by his forbidding Dominant persona. No, this was something different. He was… cold towards her now.
Was it because of her reaction to Jonathan? Surely a brief moment of attraction wasn’t enough to have marred their entire weekend? The way Lucas had held her so possessively the night before stood in stark contrast to the indifference he showed her now.
The high she had been riding for the last two days ended abruptly, and she dropped fast and far. The long flight back to Charlotte was miserable, and several times Shay found herself fighting back tears. She was so confused. She had thought there was something between them, that Lucas felt the same way. But now… Now she wasn’t sure of anything.
Lucas left her when they reached the airport, letting his driver help her into the car, leaving her without so much as a kiss on the cheek.
But he never had kissed her, had he? He had fucked her. That was all. Hell, she would have settled for a firm handshake at this point. She angrily brushed away the tears that were rolling down her face, not wanting the driver to see.
Her phone rang suddenly, snapping her out of her dark thoughts. The number on her caller ID was unfamiliar to her.
“Hello?” She answered, her tone questioning. “This is Shay Greene,” she added her typical professional greeting.
“Shay,” said a warm, masculine voice. The caller had a hint of a Southern accent. “It’s Jonathan. Jonathan Manning. We met last night at the club.”
Shay blinked, taken aback. Of course as her employer he had her contact info, but why was he calling her now? Was he going fire her? To threaten to out her as a kinky freak?
“Yes,” she answered, a bit shakily. “I remember.”
“Listen,” he said, his tone light, conversational. “There’s this big party we’re throwing in a couple days. You know, so that we can network and mingle with the locals. Would you like to be my date?”
Shay was silent for a moment, completely taken aback. “Ummm…” She stalled. She didn’t know Jonathan at all, but she couldn’t deny that he was devastatingly handsome. Usually she would have jumped at the chance to go out with such a hot guy.
But what about Lucas? She thought of how he had gripped her tightly as Jonathan eyed her naked body. She thought of the possessiveness in his eyes as he had stared Jonathan down. And then his sudden, inexplicable coldness towards her today.
A dangerous idea came to Shay in that moment. Could she use that jealousy as a weapon?
Yes, she decided. This would be the ultimate test that would prove if Lucas cared about her or if she was just a good fuck. She knew she was toying with fire, playing these two dominant men against each other. But she threw caution to the wind, speaking before she could second-guess her actions.
“Yes,” she answered finally. “I will go to the party with you, Jonathan.”
Torn
Caught between the Billionaires
Book 2: Jonathan
Chapter 1
Shay unconsciously twisted her emerald ring on her finger, around and around, as the flashy red BMW pulled up to The Carolinian Hotel. Her nervousness rivaled the night that she had first walked into Tempest fetish club all by herself.
Lucas had told her that she had walked into the lion’s den that night. Only tonight, there would be two lions to contend with, two alpha males that she was foolishly planning to play against each other.
She barely knew Jonathan, but she could tell from the stare-down he and Lucas had engaged in at the fet club in London that he was not someone to just roll over when challenged. And the fact that he had been in the club in the first place let her know that he was also a sexual Dominant, just like Lucas.
Shay’s sex pulsed lightly as she recalled the intensity of the two men as she was caught up in their silent confrontation. Had it really been over her?
Yes, she reassured herself for the thousandth time. Lucas was definitely acting possessive.
And lust had definitely filled Jonathan’s eyes as he studied her naked body with appreciation. Shay could hardly grasp the concept of not one but two ridiculously beautiful men desiring her. Maybe this was all some fantasy she had just cooked up in her head. After all, Lucas hadn’t contacted her since they had returned to the US three days ago.
Thank god she hadn’t seen him at the architecture firm since then; she didn’t know if she could see him again and keep a clear head. It had been all she could do to focus on her work this week, burying herself in drawings and calculations in order to shove back memories of her time in London, of Lucas’ burning green eyes. And of the coldness that she had seen in them on their last day together.
She could just try to play at his game, to pretend that their weekend meant nothing to her and move on with her life. But that was impossible now that he had shown her what complete submission could feel like. She wanted more of it. And she wanted more of it with him.
So tonight, she was going to make a play for him, to see which man was the real Lucas: the warm one who mixed rigidity with tenderness, or the cold, closed one who showed her nothing but callousness. The two sides of him were too disparate to both be genuine.
She felt slightly guilty for using Jonathan in her ploy, but he didn’t seem the type to get bent out of shape over losing a potential conquest. Where Lucas was all dark intensity, Jonathan gave off a carefree air.
Still, he was a Dom, and she didn’t think that he would take too kindly to being manipulated if he figured out what she was up to. Hating herself slightly for being disingenuous, Shay swallowed down her niggling doubts about her plan as the car door was opened for her.
Grasping the hand offered to her, Shay glanced up to see that it was Jonathan who was helping her out of the car. She suddenly needed the aid of that strong hand to steady herself as she took in all of him for the second time. At six-foot-two, he was a few inches shorter than Lucas, but the broadness of his shoulders told her he was no less muscular. A mischievous smile was playing around the corners of his full mouth, and his blue eyes danced with a playful light.
“Good evening, Shay,” he said as she fought to balance on her suddenly shaky legs.
“Hi,” she said, struggling for a confident tone. Her hand felt small in his, and she was suddenly slightly intimidated. Although power didn’t radiate off him as it did off of Lucas, his arrogant, slightly condescending air told her she was definitely in the presence of a Dominant, one who knew her submissive nature and planned to use it to his advantage.
Lucas, Shay reminded herself firmly. You’re here for Lucas.
But she couldn’t deny the melty feeling spreading throughout her body as the submissive in her thrilled at Jonathan’s touch. God, just a few seconds with the man and she was already losing her backbone? Tonight was going to be more difficult than she had thought.
Focus, she ordered herself sternly. Straightening her shoulders, she looped her arm through Jonathan’s and peeked up at him through her lashes, giving him a deliberately shy smile. She was going to have to play the game if she had any hope of making Lucas jealous.
Jonathan grinned down at her. The triumphant edge to his smile told her that her deception was working. She again felt a pang of guilt at what she was doing; she wasn’t used to
playing the part of ruthless manipulator, and it didn’t exactly sit well with her. But she would do it, for Lucas.
“Shall we?” Jonathan asked with a slightly sardonic bow, gently mocking, knowing she wouldn’t protest. Shay was again aware of the warmth that bloomed between her legs at his treatment.
Cut it out! What was wrong with her?
They entered the foyer of the grand hotel in silence, and Shay paused to marvel at the splendor of it, all polished oak floors that dully reflected the golden light from the crystal chandeliers, giving the place a sense of dark, decadent warmth.
Jonathan steered her towards the elevator, and the golden doors parted smoothly to admit them. When they closed, Shay became suddenly, acutely aware of the fact that they were alone in the confined space. Darkly erotic images flashed through her mind: Jonathan, throwing her up against the cool metal wall, shoving up her emerald green dress, entering her roughly and taking her mercilessly.
Shay glanced up at Jonathan and saw an answering lust in his eyes. Erotic tension pulsed between them, and she quickly dropped her gaze. Closing her eyes, she struggled to envision the scenario with Lucas rather than the gorgeous blonde beside her. But it was all wrong. Lucas was carefully calculating, his moves meticulously planned. In contrast, there was an air of playful spontaneity about Jonathan, as though he could do anything he wished to her at any given moment on a whim. The thought was… thrilling.
No! Shay thought, a bit desperately. Lucas, Lucas, Lucas. She repeated his name like a mantra in her head, forcing herself to picture the ruggedly chiseled lines of his face, the intensity of his glowing, bottle-green stare.
She breathed a small sigh of relief as the elevator pinged and the doors slid open. It definitely wasn’t going to be difficult to appear to be attracted to Jonathan. It seemed the real challenge was going to be convincing herself that it wasn’t true.
Her eyes roved over the crowd in the marble-floored ballroom, but Lucas was nowhere to be seen. She tried to ignore the sinking feeling within her.
He’ll be here, she assured herself. He had to be here.
Jonathan steered her towards a small knot of unfamiliar people.
“Come on,” he murmured. “I want to show off my architectural genius to some of our board members.”
Shay swallowed and nodded, putting her professional front carefully back in place. She reminded herself that tonight was about more than just winning Lucas back; it was about networking, about making a name for herself. And she wasn’t about to compromise her career for a man who, to be totally honest, she shouldn’t be pursuing a relationship with in the first place.
The next hour passed by in a haze of chatter and champagne. Shay was careful not to drink more than two glasses, but she had always been a bit of a lightweight. She wasn’t tipsy, per se, but she had loosened up a bit, and she found that the little boost of confidence actually gave her an edge in the conversation.
It became clear to her in that time that Jonathan was just as sharply clever as Lucas. And totally in command of the group, guiding the conversation deftly with an air of dominance, but also charm. Shay could see how the partnership between the serious, driven Lucas and the charismatic Jonathan had pushed Augustan Technologies to the forefront of the global market in just a few short years.
“Jonathan,” a deep, accented voice cut in, “so nice to finally see you again.”
Shay couldn’t stop the small, pleasurable tremor that ran through her at the sound of his voice. Lucas.
All eyes turned to the CEO as he joined the group. His eyes met Shay’s, and her heart lifted as she thought she glimpsed a flash of lust in their green depths. But it was gone as soon as it had come, replaced by a courteous but blankly closed expression.
Her moment of joy was immediately deflated like a popped balloon. It seemed he was still determined to keep her at a distance. Maybe he really was done with her. Maybe she had just imagined the heat in his eyes. God, how desperate and deluded was she?
Then a strong, warm arm snaked around her waist as Jonathan pulled her against his side. “Hello, Lucas. Good to see you too, buddy.”
Shay glanced up in surprise, and found Jonathan giving Lucas an easy smile. But there was a slight challenge in his eyes, as though he was silently taunting his partner. Her gaze swiveled back to Lucas, and she was pleased to see small lines of tension around his eyes and mouth. His smile seemed slightly forced.
So he was jealous. She might snag him yet. But she was discomfited to find that her sex was pulsing as Jonathan’s strong arm gripped her waist a bit more tightly than was necessary. If the board members around them noticed anything inappropriate, they gave no sign. Was it because there truly was nothing there to notice or were they simply wisely deferring to their bosses? Shay chose to believe the latter.
Still, she couldn’t help feeling distinctly discomfited as Jonathan’s arm remained wrapped around her. She was uncomfortable with both the fact that this compromised her professional image and with how she was intentionally playing these two men against one another. Especially given the undeniably erotic feelings that Jonathan’s touch elicited from her.
She was so confused. She needed a moment to compose herself. And to extricate herself from Jonathan and his distracting effects on her body.
“Excuse me,” she said, sidestepping away from Jonathan. She needed air. Turning on her heel, she headed for the double doors that lead out onto the balcony.
She breathed in deeply as the night air hit her face. The usual heavy Carolina humidity had been broken by an earlier rain, and a balmy evening breeze played through her hair. She rested her elbows on the balcony’s metal railing, closing her eyes and breathing deeply and evenly, trying to sort through her tangled thoughts.
Nothing was going as planned this evening. There was a possibility that Lucas was jealous of the fact that she had come here with Jonathan, but she wasn’t entirely sure. And she felt distinctly guilty for leading Jonathan on. And even more guilty for lusting after him while she was meant to be winning over Lucas.
“Shay?” Her eyes snapped open as his voice cut through her confused thoughts. She spun around, and there he was. Although he was a shadow against the light coming from the doorway behind him, she recognized him instantly, that sense of power radiating from him affecting her even at this distance.
“Lucas?” She said his name uncertainly.
“Are you alright?” He asked, striding towards her. As he approached, she could see him more clearly. Was his expression etched with… concern?
“Um, yeah,” she lied. “I’m fine.”
He frowned forbiddingly as he stepped a bit closer to her than necessary, encroaching on her personal space. “I would have thought by now that you would have learned not to lie to me.”
Shay swallowed and took a reflexive step back, but his large hand encircled her wrist, stopping her short. Little sparks danced over her skin where he touched her, and she relished the contact. God, how was it that she missed this so much in only a few days? And how could she have possibly felt lust for Jonathan when she had experienced… this, him?
“I’m sorry, Sir,” she gasped automatically.
His frown turned to a small, smug smile at her instinctive reaction. But mingled with her pleasure at his approval was anger. It rose up hot and fast as she recalled his coldness, his rejection. How could he act as though none of that had happened? Yes, this was what she wanted – his touch – but how could he return to this so casually after how he had treated her?
But she couldn’t help leaning into him, the heat of her desire and her anger driving her to a reckless, passionate action. Her fingers wrapped around the back of his neck, her nails biting into the skin slightly as she pulled herself up into him. Then her lips were on his, his mouth pleasantly warm against hers.
But instead of meeting her passion, Lucas stiffened, his lips unyielding as he turned to stone.
Confused and embarrassed, Shay pulled back, dropping her hands to her side
s. She looked up at Lucas to find that his eyes were slightly widened, as though in shock, but there was nothing but cold disapproval in them.
“I…” She stammered. “I’m sorry for acting out of turn… Sir,” she added. Was he angry that she had tried to take control?
“Don’t call me that,” he snapped. “Our arrangement is over, Shay. You know that.”
Shay reeled back from him as thought he had slapped her across the face. “But…” She began. What had just happened? He had been pleased at her use of the term only moments before, hadn’t he? Tears began to prick at the corners of her eyes as her cheeks flamed crimson. Regret flashed over Lucas’ face and he reached out for her, but Shay jerked away from him.
She didn’t want him to pity her. She had never been more embarrassed in her life. Or more disappointed.
“There you two are.”
Glad of the excuse to look away from Lucas, Shay glanced around him to see Jonathan walking out onto the balcony.
“Jonathan,” she said, plastering a smile on her face for him. She now knew that she had no hope of winning Lucas back, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t want to irritate him by flirting with Jonathan. She had to get a little of her own back after her ridiculous, pathetic behavior.
Jonathan returned her smile, sidling up to her and sliding his arm around her waist once again, pulling her against him.
“What are you two doing out here?” He asked.
“Just talking business,” Lucas said lightly.
“Ugh,” Jonathan grunted. “Aren’t you tired of that already? I think I’ve had enough hobnobbing for one evening.” He turned his attention to Shay, looking down at her.
“Want to get out of here?” He asked. “I know a great cocktail bar not far away.” His grin was infectious, and Shay found that it wasn’t all that difficult to return it. She was also vindictively pleased that the invitation hadn’t been extended to Lucas.
When had she become this catty?
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. She realized the truth of Meemaw’s oft-quoted old adage for the first time.