When his waiter came back, he said something and pointed at me. I saw him adjust the lapels on his suit jacket and I knew he was going to make his move. I turned my back to him again and waited. I hoped he wouldn’t dare touch me because the punishment from Jonathan would be hell. And I wasn’t exactly sure who the punishment would be directed at.
Kellen appeared next to me and without saying a word, he unbuttoned a button on his jacket and slid it off. He draped it over the barstool and took a seat next to me. He faced me. He was beautiful and cocky.
“What kind of wine?” he asked.
“Does it matter?”
Kellen leaned towards me. I stiffened, praying he wouldn’t touch me. I looked disgusted which was probably the first real face I made since taking a seat at the bar.
Using the middle finger on his right hand, he touched the rim of my wine glass and followed it in one big circle. He then showed me his finger, smiled, and licked it. He used the tip of his tongue quick. His lips smacked a few times and he nodded.
“Let me get you a refill,” he said.
I looked at the bartender, a young, pretty woman with her back to us, standing at the far end of the bar flirting with a few men in suits. I expected Kellen to call for the woman, but I found that expecting anything was foolish.
Kellen stood. I was in shock as he climbed behind the bar and found the exact wine I had ordered. I knew nothing about wine other than a few names. But Kellen managed to nail it. Just by tasting a little residue on my glass. He came back over the bar and stood tall, fixing his shirt and tie.
“There,” he said. “Now we can relax.”
He left the bottle on the bar and had since attracted the attention of the bartender. She stood with her hand on her hip, looking pissed.
“Sweetheart, come here,” Kellen said.
The woman walked to him and he took her hand.
“You know who I am, right?”
She nodded.
“Good. Here, let me take care of this.” Kellen reached into his pocket and put a wad of cash into her hand. He folded it up and smiled. “There you go.”
The bartender looked at the money and appeared shocked.
“That’s five hundred dollars you gave me,” she said. “That entire bottle of wine is only a hundred...”
“Well, then free drinks,” Kellen said. He smiled again - this time I caught myself smiling; there was something catchy about his smile. He leaned towards the bartender and he whispered, “Or you could be a little greedy and just keep it for yourself. That’s what I’d do...” Kellen looked at me. “I don’t like to share.”
The bartender left and Kellen slowly took his seat, not letting his eyes leave mine.
“You must be Kellen,” I said.
“You must be Isabella Grace,” Kellen said. He voice was sexy.
I hated him already. But yet, I was intrigued.
“You know, it’s kind of silly to sit here like this,” I said.
“Why? Afraid your dress is going to go just a few inches higher and make it worth my time to look?”
He was bold. Confident.
“You know he’s here, right?”
“Who?”
“You know who.”
“Oh, that’s right. Jonathan.”
“Mr. Black,” I corrected.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Is that what he forces you to call him? Keeps you as an object... and object of lust or abuse?”
I took my wine glass and sipped. I was already done with him. I could handle Jonathan’s command but I wouldn’t handle nonsense from Kellen.
He put his hand out to touch me and I hurried to move.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“To know why someone so beautiful is sitting alone.”
“He’s on a phone call, that’s all.”
“With another bank?” Kellen asked with a big smile.
“He doesn’t need a bank.”
“Yes, he does. But he won’t get one. He’s all tapped out. Everyone is sick of his bullshit, Isabella. Including you. Isn’t that right?”
“Do you know what’s right?”
“I know what I see when I look in your eyes.”
“And what do you see?” I asked.
Kellen shifted so he could stare at me. He took his time, on purpose, allowing his eyes to focus and move, focus and move, focus and move. I could easily tell it was some kind of tactic, maybe he used it for sales, maybe he used it for women. Either way, I could understand how it worked on people, but it did nothing for me.
“I see beyond the shell he’s given you,” Kellen said. His hand already started to creep towards me. I couldn’t believe how alert I was, noticing the smallest movements without moving my eyes.
What had Jonathan Black done to me?
“I see beyond the world he wants you to believe in,” Kellen continued. “Because there’s more to it. Sure, there’s suffering and tragedy, but did you know there’s beauty? There’s love? There’s hope?
That’s the magical part of life.”
“Did you memorize that?” I asked.
“I only speak what my heart tells me to say,” Kellen offered. “Sometimes it gets me into trouble but what can I do?”
“Does your heart understand what you’re doing right now?”
“Oh, it understands,” Kellen said. “So do I.”
His hand moved towards me and I jumped back. My nerves tingled and for a split second, I saw him touching me. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it but I calmed when I saw his hand go after the wine bottle.
“Jumpy? Must be Jonathan’s demand, huh?”
Kellen drank straight from the wine bottle. He had the appearance of a powerful man but the demeanor of a wild college guy. I honestly couldn’t read him for a second.
“It’s been a long time,” Kellen said. “That must be one hell of a phone call he’s on.”
“Maybe he’s making an offer on your bank,” I said and smiled.
Kellen laughed. He flicked the wine bottle with a fingernail. “I hope not. He’d fire me then, wouldn’t he?”
“I’m sure of it.”
“He can’t afford me,” Kellen said. “He can’t afford you either.”
I took offense. “Do you see a price tag anywhere?”
Kellen leaned towards me but kept a respectful distance. “I’m not talking about money, Isabella. It’s not always about money. That’s where Jonathan and I differ. He has monetary value on everything. It’s disgusting. My value is in heart and soul.”
“Save the romance,” I said.
“It’s not romance, it’s truth. You’re not wearing a necklace. Or a bracelet. Earrings. Rings.”
“Don’t like them,” I said.
“That I doubt. He hasn’t given you a thing.”
“So materials are important to you?” I asked.
“Not the material, but the gesture.”
Kellen nodded at me. I let it sink in and my thumbs slowly started to touch my bare fingers.
“Exactly,” he said. “It’s about caring beyond the scope of the world. It’s about creating your own life but respecting the world that exists around us. I deal with hundreds of people a day. Each one of those people face challenges and I must step into their world and make a decision.”
“And what was so wrong with Mr. Black’s world?” I asked. I wasn’t sure if talking about the deal between Kellen and Jonathan was off limits, but since I was already there, why not ask?
“I never said there was anything wrong,” Kellen said. “I just don’t like the man.”
“So you pick and choose?”
“We all do. And right now you’re picking while I’m choosing.”
He drank from the wine bottle again and stood from the barstool. My feet moved, trying to find the floor. He wasn’t supposed to leave. I was supposed to leave first. I was supposed to leave him with his mouth hanging open, desperate to chase me down.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
�
��What’s wrong? Going to miss me?”
“Didn’t realize our time had ended,” I said.
Kellen put the wine bottle down and moved so fast, I couldn’t protect myself this time. The same finger he used to touch my wineglass now touched my shoulder. The cardinal rule of our date shattered to pieces. My body flushed and burned as Kellen’s finger moved along my shoulder. I watched him do it, keeping all reaction at bay. I hated myself for what happened but I didn’t stop it for a second. His finger moved down my arm a few inches and then right back up to my shoulder.
He took his hand away, reached for his suit jacket, and took the bottle of wine.
“Cheers to the night ahead,” Kellen said and then he smiled as he walked away.
I sat frozen in silence, stuck between emotions I couldn’t figure out at that moment. When I finally turned, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Kellen sitting at his table again. His arms outstretched. His suit jacket back on. The only difference from before was the bottle of wine on the table.
He smiled and I looked away.
I had to collect myself.
I needed to go face Jonathan Black.
-6-
Jonathan sat on the couch with one leg on top of the other, his hands gripping at his ankle and just under his knee. His stare deadly and intent on me as I strutted through the open door of the room.
“I can watch you do that all night,” he said.
“Do what?” I asked.
“Walk in that dress. You’re like a dream... my dream.”
I kept walking until I stood before Jonathan. I swallowed and knew my face painted the scene. Not that I planned on lying to Jonathan or holding anything back from him, I had learned my lesson about that from before. It was just hard to accept that the night didn’t go as Jonathan planned.
“I let you down,” I whispered.
“Did you? How so?”
“He came to me like you said but he left first.”
Jonathan nodded.
“He was bold, daring, like he had all the confidence in the world.”
“Of course he did,” Jonathan said. “I wasn’t there.”
“I tried my best. I pushed back, rejecting him, making sure you were brought up as much as I could...”
“Until he touched you,” Jonathan said. “And you froze. You watched. You... you watched him touch you.”
“I didn’t mean...”
“But you spoke well. That I liked.”
My face burned. I connected the dots and it shouldn’t have surprised me for a second.
“You were there,” I whispered.
“Of course I was,” Jonathan said. “I wouldn’t let you out of my sight, Isabella Grace. What kind of man do you think I am?”
I didn’t answer the question. I wasn’t supposed to.
My hands were at my sides and my body suddenly felt neglected and unwanted. I expected Jonathan to lunge at me. The time we spent apart, even though he watched me, should have been enough to entice him. To make him want me. To make him need me. To make him use his body to show me he was the dominant one. That Kellen didn’t stand a chance.
But Jonathan didn’t.
He sat there, in the same position.
“You look troubled,” he said.
“I let you down.”
“No, you didn’t,” he said. “Kellen is hooked. But you did break my rule. He touched you. His greasy finger touched my precious angel’s shoulder. His touch, seeping through your beautiful pores. Like a venom.”
“No, not like that,” I said. “I wasn’t sure what to do once he stood up. I thought I was going to leave first.”
“You broke the rule,” Jonathan repeated. “And now, I’m afraid I can’t touch you...”
My mouth opened and a rush of tears came to my eyes. I let out a shaking breath.
Jonathan finally moved, putting a hand up.
“I can’t touch you until you wash him off you.”
“Wash him...”
“That dress must be destroyed and you must take a shower.”
“Yes, anything, Mr. Black. Anything.”
I turned to run to the bathroom and Jonathan cleared his throat.
“Of course, Isabella, I must watch...”
I was thankful then that my back faced him because I smiled. Technically, this was punishment, but to have Jonathan’s dark and beautiful eyes upon my naked body... that wasn’t a punishment, not at all.
He stood at the bathroom door with his arms folded, waiting for me to take the dress off. I reached for the zipper and couldn’t reach it without a struggle. I stopped and looked at Jonathan, thinking he’d want to make his mark and strip the dress off me. But he didn’t. He stood there, cold and annoyed. Of course he didn’t want to touch the dress... Kellen had touched me. He wanted nothing to do with me until I was fully clean of Kellen.
I fought to get the zipper started. Then I had to reach behind myself and I somehow managed to lock two fingers to the tiny zipper and pull it down far enough to pull the top down. I kept my back to Jonathan and even as the dress came down past my knees and finally off, his reaction didn’t change. When I stood fully nude, the curves of my backside leaving the allure of what waited at my front, it did nothing.
“Kick the dress to me,” he said.
I turned and did.
He took the dress in disgust and left the bathroom.
I waited for his return and when he came, he pointed to the shower.
“Leave the door open and wash yourself,” he said.
I turned the water on, amazed at how fast it became hot. I stepped in and instantly enjoyed the warm, refreshing downpour. With the eyes of Jonathan Black upon me.
“Is the dress gone?” I asked as the water pounded against my back. Trickles came over my shoulders and down my chest, tickling my sensitive nipples all before making their way along the curves of my body to between my legs.
Touching.
Teasing.
Jonathan looking at me.
It came as no surprise to me that within the first minute of showering I was fully turned on. The water washed the wetness down my legs. My nipples were so erect, they actually throbbed and hurt a little.
“The dress is gone,” Jonathan finally said.
I left it at that.
I couldn’t believe he was so serious and adamant about Kellen. The destructive look in his eyes was greater than the look he gave talking about Oliver Rush or Peter Cresh... or even his own father...
His Taste (By His Command #7) (billionaire domination / erotic romance) Page 4