Jules laughed again and she fought the temptation to hang up on him. ‘Jessica, if you weren’t interested in money or status, why are you opening your legs for one of the world’s most eligible, most powerful billionaires? Let’s be adults. William wants us to meet him for dinner next week. You will be there.’ He named the most expensive restaurant in the city.
Jess was silent, seething over what he’d said and Jules sighed impatiently.
‘Tuesday. Eight thirty. Don’t be late and don’t let me down. Your department gets a very generous bursary from this estate, don’t forget. It could easily get cancelled.’
The phone went dead and Jess growled and cussed softly under her breath.
She was tied securely to the chair. The blindfold was as he’d promised, so inky black that no light penetrated and she was utterly blind. With her hands pulled tightly behind her, soft leather wound tightly around her fragile wrists, another band of leather under her breasts to keep her torso from slumping in the chair.
She was naked. Helpless. His.
Theo pulled the clip that held her gorgeous dark hair in a chignon and let the long, long waves tumble down her back. Her skin, in the dim light, was luminous, gold and amber and pink. Her breasts rose and fell with her breath, full and ripe, the dark nipples hardened with her arousal. Theo crouched in front of her. He was fully dressed, an impeccable Saville row suit. He bent his head and pressed his mouth against her belly, smiling when he heard her sharp intake of breath.
‘Quiet.’
Jess closed her perfect rosebud mouth then, utterly submissive to him. He trailed a fingertip across her skin, around her navel and down, stopping just before her sex. She shivered.
‘Open your legs for me.’
Jess did as he asked and he could see the beauty of her sex, already glistening with her honey.
‘Wider.’
She pressed her legs further apart and he sank to his knees between them. He bent his head and ran his tongue along the length of her folds, tasting the sweetness of the soft peachy labia, curling his tongue around the clitoris. Her whole body trembled as he tasted and teased her until she couldn’t help but moan.
Theo stood and bent her head back so he could grind his mouth down on hers, his tongue lashing against hers.
‘Can you taste yourself, Jessica?’
She nodded and he stroked back her hair. ‘Good. I want you to taste me now. What do you say?’
‘Please…’
He smiled and rewarded her by tracing his fingertips across her stomach, cupping each breast, grazing the nipples with his thumbs. He stepped back and freed his cock – already so hard, pulsating and weighty. He traced the outline of her lips with the tip then as she opened her mouth to take him in, he sighed at the feel of her tongue on him, flicking around the tip, drawing him in. Her pretty cheeks hollowed as she sucked at him, the smooth motion of her lips along the shaft making his head swim with desire. She traced the vein with her tongue, grazing him gently with her teeth. God, the feel of her, the sight of her, her flushed face, head thrown back, the long dark mane sweeping along the floor.
‘You have no right to be so fucking beautiful,’ he said, his breath ragged as he neared climax. Her lips curved up around his cock in a smile and he came, shooting violently into her mouth. She swallowed him down, taking his seed deep into her. Theo pushed the blindfold from her eyes and she smiled up at him as he caught his breath.
‘God, I love you,’ he said and with one move, freed the strap under her breasts and pulled her down on top of him so she straddled him. He moved to untie her hands but she shook her head emphatically.
Theo smiled and without a word, spread her labia wide and impaled her onto his cock, rigid and throbbing with desire for her. As she began to ride him, he gripped her hips, digging his fingers deep into the soft flesh there. Jess’s eyes came alive at the pain and he increased his grip until he heard her moan.
‘You like me hurting you, don’t you?’
She nodded and he took her nipples between his finger and thumbs and pinched hard. Hard. She gasped and he felt her honey, hot and slick, cover his cock as he bucked under her. He pressed his finger hard into her navel and she came, throwing her head back and gasping for air.
Theo swiftly moved so he was on top, pressing her hard into the floor, tugging her legs over his shoulders, and ploughing into her roughly, harder and harder until he too climaxed, utterly abandoned and spent.
They caught their breath and then he freed her hands, gently massaging her sore shoulders and wrists. She still hadn’t spoken and he grinned at her.
‘You can speak now, you know.’
She smiled gently at him. ‘I don’t know if I can. That was…’ and she was silent for so long he started to get worried. He propped himself up on his elbow and stroked her face, still damp with sweat.
‘Hey…was that too much? You know, if it ever got too much, you know the safe word right?’
She nodded and placed her hand against his chest. ‘I do. But Theo, damn, that was so intense – in a very, very good way. I love being under your control. Love it.’
He gathered her to him. ‘I know,’ he murmured, his lips to her ear, trailing his lips down her neck. ‘I know what it took you to even consent to this. Even if you won’t tell me everything, I can see it in your eyes. Thank you for trusting me.’
Jess wound her arm around his neck and gave him such a sweet smile, he had to have her again right there, on the floor again and again….
Max was wildly relieved when he got a call from Theo – and he heard Jess call out ‘Love you Max!’ over the phone. To think his big mouth nearly cost Theo the best thing that had ever happened to him. Max had needed no more convincing of Jess’s feelings for his best friend than the heartbreak in her eyes when she thought she was just the punchline of their joke. Max would never forget it. He’d scrambled to make it better and when he couldn’t, he had told Theo everything. Max drained his drink. The bar on 9th was one of his and Josh’s favourites – in fact, it had been exactly six years to the day they had met here, both then with other partners. He’d seen the tall Mexican laughing with his friends and fallen, right there. During the night, he’d manoeuvred and networked so hard they’d ended up talking in the same group. Joshua Ruiz was funny, gorgeous and erudite – and by the end of the night, he had Max’s number. Ten days later, they moved in together.
Josh was making his way back to the bar from the restrooms now, stopping to say hi to friends as he went. Max marvelled again at his husband’s lithe body, weaving so gracefully towards him. Max himself was prone to weight gain – just enough that a few extra pounds added back the puppy fat he’d worked so hard to remove. Josh didn’t care at any rate. Max had never doubted his love for a second, such was their connection.
So he couldn’t really blame Theo for falling so hard, so fast. Max got it. The only thing he took pause over was what Theo had said the day he’d nearly wrecked it for him.
‘I think she’s been damaged, Max. I think it’s why at any sign or perceived slight, Jess’s default reaction is mistrust. She runs.’ Theo had been quiet for a while then had said, almost to himself, ‘I need to put this right.’ He turned to Max. ‘How quietly can we hire an investigator – a discreet one – to look into Jess’s family? Not Jess, you must stress that, under no circumstances must she be followed or investigated – just her family. Especially her step-brother. The story’s there, I’m sure of it.’
Max had assured him he could set it up but when he’d told Josh, his husband had raised an eyebrow.
‘Not sure that’s going to do anything but make matters worse. If he is mistreating Jess, Theo might rush in. Things could get very nasty and that girl could be caught in the crosshairs.’
But Max had done as he asked and now, burning hot in his bag – well, that’s what it felt like – was the investigator’s preliminary report. Max had glanced at it quickly and had not liked what he’d read.
The investigator h
ad talked to people from where Jules had gone to school, his college tutors. All of them were reticent to speak about Jules – no-one had a bad word to say about him – but neither did they say anything good. They were scared, the investigator had surmised. Frustrated, he’d finally been put in contact with a local police chief, Bud Clermont, who’d had plenty to say on the subject of Julien Gachet.
‘Is he in trouble with the law?’
The investigator assured him he wasn’t.
Clermont gave a frustrated hiss. ‘Damn, I was hoping you were gonna tell me he fucked up. Finally got what was coming to him. Well, I can’t tell you anything that’ll hold up in a court of law, just that he’s a piece of work. ‘
‘I can tell you what I saw, what I think. Knew it from the second I met him, something wrong in that kid’s eyes. They were dead, blank. First and only time a kid scared the shit out of me. Kept an eye on him as he got older, seems to me, someone like that, they’re gonna escalate from petty crime. Of course, his family’s money made that all go away. Something big happened too, only it was all hushed up and grunts like me never got to know what. Something to do with the step-sister. He was obsessed with her. Pretty disgusting – she was only twelve, I believe. Julien liked to play with knives, loved the sight of blood. I believe he was kept away from home as much as possible. I kept my eye on him. There were complaints from some of the female students – girls who looked just like the sister. Like I said – obsessed.’
Max felt another wave of nausea flood through him. He hadn’t told Theo anything yet and he thought again about Josh’s words of caution. The last thing he wanted was to put Jess in more danger – if that was what she was in.
Josh headed back then and started to talk to him but Max barely listened. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was coming, something very bad indeed…
Theo hooked a leg around Jess’s hips and pulled her back down onto the bed. She protested, giggling, but as soon as he started to kiss her stomach, she gave up.
‘I have to go soon,’ she said gently, stroking her fingers through his dark curls. Theo, his lips against her belly, shook her head and she laughed. ‘That tickles.’
He lifted his head and grinned. ‘Why is this dinner so important?’
Jess sighed and sat up. ‘It’s to do with the estate. If it were just me that was affected by the changes in the estate, I’d tell Jules to go to hell but…’
‘But?’
She rubbed her face roughly. ‘When I was younger – and so freaking naive that I believed Jules – he set up several trusts for projects I cared about. Called it an eighteenth birthday present. He’s managed to make it so that if he withdraws that funding – like from my art department – the project will suffer, or even have to close.’
Theo was appalled. ‘Jess… that’s blackmail.’
She nodded. ‘I know. But what can I do? Tell him to screw it, I don’t want his money anymore so screw everyone else? Not an option.’
She climbed off the bed and started to dress. ‘It’s not as if he’s…’ and she swallowed hard before looking away from him ‘…using it to do anything untoward to me. He just wants me to be a part of his family.’
‘Paying you to be his sister?’ Theo’s voice was harsh and she winced.
‘If you want to put it like that. Makes him sound pathetic when you say it like that.’ She considered and a small smile played around her mouth. ‘Actually, he is pathetic.’ She turned and leaning over, kiss Theo on the mouth. ‘And he’s not your problem.’
Theo caught her face between his hands. ‘Let me come with you.’
Jess shook her head. ‘It’s an hour, or two, and it’s not even as if it’s at the house. It’s a restaurant with people, he can’t…’ She broke off, realising she’d said too much. She grabbed her clothes as Theo stood, tugging his jeans on.
‘He can’t what, Jessica?’ Theo’s voice was hard.
She could look at him. ‘I have to get dressed.’
‘Jess…’
‘No. No, Theo. I have to get dressed.’ She turned and walked out of the room, leaving Theo to stare after her.
Jess walked into the restaurant at precisely eight-twenty-nine to find Malcolm, Jules’s bodyguard and driver waiting for her. He said nothing but handed her a cell-phone.
‘Jessica, change of plan. William has come to the house instead. Malcolm will bring you here.’
Son-of-a-bitch. Jess handed Malcolm the phone, and he guided her out to the car. She couldn’t believe she’d been conned by Jules again. Asshole asshole asshole. She couldn’t protest, not without making a scene and she wouldn’t put it past Malcolm to drag her by the hair to the waiting limo. He’d always scared her, his smug expression, the way he looked he looked at her make her feel sick. He was perfect for Jules, she thought, grimly, settling in the back seat, as far away from the driver as possible.
They drove through the rain-slicked streets and out of the city, towards the place she dreaded. Jess pulled her cell phone from her bag and flicked to Theo’s number – and stopped. No. She wasn’t the little princess in need of a white knight. She would handle this herself. She glanced up to find Malcolm smirking at her in the rear view mirror. She narrowed her eyes at him and he chuckled darkly and looked away. Why must everything in her life be filled with dread and menace? Jess sighed and leaned her forehead against the cold glass of the car window.
Everything except for Theo. He made everything okay. She glanced back down at her phone then, on impulse, sent him a message.
‘Mr Storm, later this evening, I have a feeling I may need disciplining.’
Her phone bleeped straight away. ‘Miss Wood, I concur. Present yourself to my room, stripped and ready to be chastised. Thoroughly.’
She giggled, a hot rush of desire flooding through her, a pulse beating between her legs. God, he could make her wet just by thinking about him. She closed her eyes and visualised trailing her lips against his strong jaw, pressing them into the hollow behind his earlobe, breathing him in.
Then the car stopped and reality came screeching back. Jules opened the car door and smiled down at her coldly. ‘Jessica, my darling. Welcome home.’
Max waited until Josh was asleep before sliding out of bed and into the living room. He grabbed his phone and called Theo.
‘Yup?’
‘It’s me.’
Theo laughed softly. ‘I guessed that from the caller i.d., buddy.’
Max was silent for a beat and Theo cleared his throat. ‘You okay, Max?’
Max drew in a long breath. ‘I got the preliminary report on Jules Gachet. It’s not good, Theo.’
It was Theo’s turn to be silent for a moment. ‘Tell me.’
Max related everything to him, including what Bud Clermont had told him. When he was finished he waited, listening to Theo cuss softly.
‘What do you think he’s doing to her?’ Theo’s voice broke.
Max really – really – didn’t want to answer that, didn’t want to speculate. ‘I don’t know.’
Theo sighed heavily and told him what Jess had relayed earlier to him.
‘Fucking manipulative creep.’
‘I pray that’s all he’s…’ But Theo couldn’t finish the sentence and both men knew without a doubt, that it wasn’t the full story.
‘What do you want me to do, Theo?’
Silence. ‘Nothing. Jess would freak if I told her what we’d done. I realised today, our relationship is balanced on a tightrope. Until we both can entirely be honest with each other… god.’ Theo sighed. ‘I’ll just have to protect her as much as I can until she’s ready to confide in me.’
After Max had hung up, he sat in the cool darkness of his apartment for a while then went back to bed. As he slid into bed next to his sleeping love, he felt a weight pressing down on him. Guilt. His love was here, safe in his arms, absolutely no secrets between them, complete love, complete trust.
Max prayed that Theo and Jess would one day get there. He
prayed they would be free to love without limits, without the threat that hung over them.
Because Max had no trouble believing that Jules Gachet was, if nothing else, evil.
Jess reasoned that at least, Jules had only partially lied to her about the evening. William Corcoran, the kindly family lawyer was waiting for them at the house, and over dinner, discussed the financial status of their family estate. Jess didn’t listen to most of it, certainly she had no idea that William was discussing her until Jules tapped her shoulder rudely and nodded at William.
‘I’m sorry, William, what did you say?’ She liked the old man very much and smiled at him now.
He flushed with pleasure. ‘Jessica, you are twenty-five in October and as you know, you are due to receive the balance of your trust fund your father set up.’
Step-father, she corrected silently but nodded. ‘Yes. I already discussed with you what I want to do with the bulk of it. The projects, the college, the art societies. You still have my outline for how to split the money, correct?’
William looked embarrassed and glanced at Jules. Jess looked between the two of them, her heart sinking. What now?
‘Jessica, Julien has informed me that he wishes to continue funding your projects indefinitely. In fact, the trust board had indicated that this is the only way they will agree to disperse the money. They feel that if you were given such a large amount, that, due to the history of mental illness in your family lineage, that you could be a danger to yourself. Drugs. Alcohol. Jules has informed me of your… episodes.’
Jess was speechless. More than that, she was sure she was having a nightmare. ‘What episodes? What the hell, Jules?’
Under Her Skin Page 53