The 7: Greed

by Geri Glenn

  A business meeting as our first date? I frown a little, but what can I do? We’re already on our way there, and if I’m being honest, I’m curious as to what it is that Reese does for a living. “That’s fine,” I murmur. “Not exactly a way to get to know me, like you had said, but it could be a good way for me to get to know you.” I grin over at him, letting him know I’m teasing.

  He chuckles. “Good. And getting to know me could be dangerous, Alex. Be careful what you wish for.”

  The restaurant itself is upscale. I’m glad I’d had the sense to wear my favorite little black dress. It can pass as either formal or casual, depending on the occasion, and here, it’s definitely a place that calls for formal.

  We don’t even have to wait as we walk inside. The hostess smiles as her eyes land on Reese. Grabbing two menus, she escorts us to a table in the far corner of the restaurant, where there is already an older gentleman in a business suit, sitting and scrolling through his phone.

  He stands as we approach. “Reese,” he greets, his tone curt, and the first thing I notice is the sudden tension in the air.

  Reese stays cool and shakes his hand. “Bennett, nice to see you again. I’d like you to meet Alexandra.”

  The tension in Bennett’s face relaxes slightly as his focus shifts to me. He extends his hand for me to take. “Alister Bennett.”

  I smile and take his hand, noting the gentle way he shakes it. “Alexandra Newman. It’s lovely to meet you.”

  Mr. Bennett chuckles and stands by his chair as Reese pushes mine in behind me. “I very much doubt that, young lady, but it’s kind of you to say so.”

  When the hostess hands me the menu, I instantly feel out of place. I don’t recognize a single thing listed, and I can’t even begin to guess how most of the items are pronounced. As Reese and Mr. Bennett talk about business, I scour the words for something I recognize, but as the waiter shows up to fill our wine glasses and take our orders, I realize that it wasn’t necessary.

  Reese goes ahead and orders for the both of us, and though I feel like I should be annoyed, I’m not. I’m grateful that I don’t have to attempt to say some of these words and end up getting a fish head on a platter, or something equally disgusting.

  As the waiter walks away, I tune into the conversation the two men are having. “My grandfather built this company from the ground up, Reese. There’s no way in hell I’m going to sell it over to you and your lecherous company to drain it of any assets and sell it for profit. I have employees that count on me, and grandchildren of my own to pass Toro Industries on to.”

  “You may not have a choice, I’m afraid. What’s done is done. Toro Industries has been dying for years now, and you know it. As top shareholder, I can prove it.” Reese pulls out a file folder full of papers. “Your best bet is to sell it willingly, and maybe come out with a bit of a profit instead of fighting this and losing it all completely.”

  The flush of anger creeps up Bennett’s neck, turning his face a shade of red I’ve never seen on another human being before. The tension in the room is back as Bennett’s glare turns from Reese to me. “Ms. Newman, you’ll have to forgive me. I seem to have lost my appetite.”

  He pushes out from the table and stands, stopping to press a gentlemanly kiss to the top of my hand. “You seem like a good person, Alexandra. Be careful with this bastard,” he whispers before walking away, without another a word to Reese.

  I blink, my mouth open in shock as I turn to Reese. He just shakes his head and laughs. “That old goat is too sentimental to be the CEO of anything, let alone a million-dollar corporation.” Our dinner arrives then, and I stare down at the food on the plate in front of me. “Coq au Vin,” he says. “Try it. It’s delicious.”

  I stab a piece of meat with my fork and slowly bring it to my mouth. I’m normally game for trying anything once, but after Bennett’s swift departure, and Reese’s attitude toward him, I’m off my game. But one bite, and all is forgotten. It’s delicious.

  “What exactly do you do?” I ask between bites. “Obviously, not just porn.”

  Reese chuckles at that idea and takes a bite of his own food. He washes it down with a sip of wine before he answers me. “I own Reese Incorporated. It’s a business that my father started before I was born, and one he wasn’t running properly. When I was twenty-one, I bought it out from under him and have been building my empire ever since.”

  “You stole your business from your father?”

  “Bought,” he clarifies. “He made out okay in the end. As Reese Industries, I find smaller companies that could make a nice profit, buy them, clean them up and use them to make more money. We have a little bit of everything under our umbrella—publishers, advertising companies.” He looks at me and grins. “Porn.”

  “And your father?” I ask.

  “Don’t know.” He shrugs his shoulders. “We haven’t spoken since the day the papers were signed.”

  He’s so blasé about it, like he couldn’t care less. I don’t know how to respond to that at all, so I change the subject. I regale Reese with some of the funnier stories about the people at Lush. It doesn’t surprise me that he doesn’t know most of the people I talk about, but he laughs in all the right places, and seems to enjoy my sense of humor.

  When the meal is finished, he leads me out of the restaurant and to the car. Just before I get inside, he leans closer to me and whispers, “Thank you for tonight, Alex.”

  I don’t know if he means for being with him as he spoke to Bennett, or for changing the subject after the unpleasant conversation, but my heart flutters as he smiles at me. I’m thankful that I could make him happy.

  ***

  Reese follows me into the house, and I can feel his eyes devouring every move I make, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end, and my belly to quiver with anticipation. I head for the living room and slip off my shoes. My feet feel instant relief, and I wiggle my toes a little at the freeing feeling of my bare feet on the carpet. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you this, but you look fucking incredible tonight, Alex.” His voice is rough, and coming from much closer than I expected.

  I whirl around and find myself pressed against his muscular frame. His hands go to my hips, gripping them tightly as his eyes bore into mine. “We never had dessert,” he says against my skin.

  I tilt my head and allow his lips to nibble along the side of my neck, my eyes falling closed as I take in a deep breath. He smells like expensive cologne and clean laundry. He feels like heaven. My mind clouds as I try to remember all the reasons I hadn’t wanted this to happen. He’s my boss. He should respect me. Blah, blah, blah.

  All those things cease to matter as his fingertips slowly start lifting the hem of my dress. My lips part on a sigh as his teeth nip the arch of my throat. Maxwell Reese has the art of a good neck kiss down to a science, and I stand helpless in front of him as his mouth moves on me.

  “Maxwell…” Oh, God, that feels good. “We can’t…oh, Jesus.” One hand comes up and cups my breast, as the other finds the waistband of my panties from under my skirt. “We can’t do this,” I finally manage to say, pressing myself closer as his thumb grazes across my nipple.

  “We can,” he whispers, nipping at my neck before pulling away. His eyes meet mine, sparked with need. “And we’re going to.” His face disappears as he drops to a kneel, both hands tugging at my panties, but keeping me covered with my skirt. “You see, I’ve been watching other men fuck this pussy longer than you know,” he admits. “Time for me to see just how sweet it is.”

  One at a time, I lift each foot and allow him to slip my panties off. He bunches them up in one hand and stares up at me from his place on the floor. “You ready for that?”

  The way he looks at me makes me feel like the sexiest woman on the planet. I hold his gaze and nod my head, expecting him to stand. “Lay back on the chair,” he orders, all emotion gone from his voice. He sounds demanding and in control. Excitement rushes through me as his stern face falter
s for a fraction of a second, as he lifts his brows playfully.

  Doing as I’m told, I take a seat in the large lounge chair behind me. Reese’s smile is filled with mischief as he takes one of my ankles in each hand. Slowly, he runs his palms up the backs of my legs, lifting them high as he goes.

  He stands, my panties still in his hand. “Put your arms in the air,” he orders. I do as I’m told. “Guys like me, Alex,” he says as he ties my left ankle to my left wrist, my panties now ruined forever, “we like our sex a little different than most men.” He reaches up and undoes his necktie. He slowly pulls it off and ties my other ankle to my right wrist. “We like it rough and hard, making sure we are in control.”

  Butterflies swirl in my belly. Trussed up like this, I am completely at his mercy. My pussy is exposed and already burning with need. What is the matter with me? Just yesterday, I was telling him this was a bad idea, and now I’m here, spread eagle in front of him, waiting for him to do whatever he damn well pleases with me.

  When his mouth hits my pussy, my entire body convulses with surprise and pleasure. His tongue swirls and his lips sip at my clit, his teeth scraping across my sensitive nub in the most delicious way.

  I squirm a little, desperate for him to apply more pressure. I’m so lost in the sensations his tongue is giving me, I don’t expect it when his open palm crashes against the bare skin of my ass. “Stay still,” he orders.

  My skin stings as my pulse races. I’ve never been spanked before in my life, and I don’t expect the warm rush of heat the feeling gives me. I stay completely still, my moans growing louder, trying so damn hard not to thrust against his mouth.

  I’m about to fall over the edge of oblivion when he rips his mouth away. “Not yet, bitch. First you’re gonna suck my cock.”

  Uneasiness causes my pleasure to waver. Bitch? I’m all for enjoying dirty talk. In fact, I kind of love it, but I’m nobody’s bitch. Not in the bedroom or out of it. Before I can protest, he yanks my feet to the floor, my wrists still tied to my ankles. The position is uncomfortable. My entire body feels like it’s about to fall forward, where I would smash my face into the carpet.

  Reese’s cock is already at my mouth. He grabs onto my hair, lifting my head back at an angle that hurts my throat. He taps the tip of his dick against my lips. “Open.”

  My uneasiness is now fear. He looks angry and fierce. There are tears in my eyes, but he pays no attention as he uses the head of his cock to part my lips. “Lick it,” he says, his stern voice husky now.

  My tongue darts out and curls along the tip, swirling as he presses it inside. I feel like I’m on a runaway freight train with no way off. The look in his eyes terrifies me. His painful grip on my head hurts, but the throbbing of my pussy has me wanting more.

  Unable to move my head, I stay still, sucking with everything I have as Reese fucks my mouth. His cock slips down my throat, making me gag. Strings of saliva drip down my chin, but he thrusts even harder.

  Tears fall freely down my cheeks, and I don’t even know any more if it’s from the gagging or the shame I feel at letting him treat me this way. For enjoying it. Reese’s hands come back to my ankles and I’m flipped back on the chair, my hands and feet in the air once again.

  I hear the crinkle of a condom wrapper, and this time when he slaps me, I barely notice. His cock plunges into me without warning, and my body struggles to accommodate him. “Fuck, yeah,” he moans. “You like my cock, bitch?”

  I moan as the pain disappears and my orgasm quickly rises back to the surface. His fingers come up and pinch my nipples so hard, I fear he’ll tear them off. “Do. You. Like. My. Fucking. Cock. Bitch?”

  The pain in my nipples sets off an involuntary reaction, and my orgasm washes over me in an instant. “Yes,” I cry as my body trembles beneath him. “Yes,” I say again and again.

  Reese’s body freezes, and I can feel his cock throbbing inside me as he silently cums. When he pulls out, he’s grinning the most beautiful grin and pats me on the ass.

  “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

  ***

  Last night, Reese had left shortly after our little foray in the living room, after first informing me that he would be here to see me tonight when he finished with work. Since then, I’ve spent the majority of my time out on the back patio of my house, drinking tea and trying to come to some sort of understanding of what had happened last night.

  I’m an overthinker, I know this. I always have been. And maybe that’s what I’ve been doing as I dissect every single touch and every dirty word that had come from Reese’s lips last night, but I still haven’t come up with an answer.

  I feel shame, if I’m being honest. Shame for letting him talk to me that way. Shame for letting him hurt me. Shame for not stopping it when I was afraid. Shame for liking it enough to ignore that fear.

  There have been times in the past where I was offered a role in different bondage films. Ones where there was spanking, handcuffs, and whips. One of the directors had seemed especially interested in having me tied to a wall at the wrists and ankles. I’d turned them all down flat. As much as I love sex, that kind of thing had never appealed to me.

  Until now. It isn’t until I’m getting dressed for my night with Reese that I come to a decision. There is nothing wrong with two people enjoying each other’s bodies in any way they want to, as long as both people are aware of the boundaries, and both of them want it to be that way. There’s no place for shame in any of it. If you like something, like it. Shame is just an emotion made up of the fear of not being what the world expects you to be.

  By the time the doorbell rings, I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to roll with this little ‘whatever it is’ I’ve got going on with Maxwell Reese and see where it leads us. I open the door with a smile, and take in his tired eyes.

  “Wow. You look like crap.”

  Reese chuckles and pulls my body to him, his arms winding around my waist, his face nestled into my neck. “I feel like crap.” He inhales deeply and squeezes me. “This helps, though.”

  For several moments, we just stand there, holding one another. The intimacy of it catches me off guard, but when he lifts his face and brushes his lips against mine, I fall into his kiss. His lips are warm and soft as they caress my own, and I can feel every ounce of tension leave his body. His kiss deepens, turning passionate and demanding, his fingertips digging into my hips as he presses me tighter against him.

  My body trembles at his touch, my heart fluttering as I struggle to pull air into my lungs. God, this man can kiss. Somehow, no matter how I’m feeling or what I’m thinking, one kiss from Maxwell Reese turns me to putty in his hands.

  I feel his chest heave as he takes a deep breath, then his lips are gone and he’s gently pushing me back a step. “Enough of that,” he says. “If we don’t stop, we’ll never get to drink this.”

  He holds up a bottle of champagne and wags a brow. I chuckle a little at his playfulness and take a step back. “Well, we wouldn’t want to miss that. Come on in,” I say, holding the door open for him to follow me inside. I start toward the kitchen. “What’s the occasion?”

  “Ah,” he murmurs from behind me. “To getting what we want, and taking no prisoners.”

  I stretch up on the tips of my toes and pull two champagne glasses down from the top shelf. “Okay.” I place them both onto the counter in front of him. “You might have to elaborate on that.”

  He smirks as he pops the cork, sending it flying across the room. “Remember Bennett, from last night?” I nod. “We’ve been in a battle over his business for months now, and today, I finally won. I now own it outright.”

  I frown. “From the way that man acted last night, he didn’t want to sell to you.”

  Reese hands me a glass. “He didn’t. I won it, fair and square.”

  “And what about him? He’d said his grandfather had started that company. What will he do?”

  His head jerks back, his brows drawing together. “I don’t give a fuck
what that old prick does. Maybe he’ll finally retire.” As Reese sips his champagne, I think back to the look of fear and anger in Mr. Bennett’s eyes last night as he’d spoken with Reese. He didn’t want to lose his company. This must have devastated him.

  “Look,” he says, drawing me close to him. “This is business, Alex. It’s the way the world works. I know you took one look at that sad old man and felt sorry for him. That’s what makes you a good person. But me, I’ve built an empire doing the things I do. If I went into everything emotional, I’d be some poor son of a bitch hitting the McDonald’s drive-through on my way to my night job at some factory.”

  I sigh. “I don’t get it, but I can see this is a good thing for you, and for that reason,” I take a sip of my champagne, “we should celebrate.”

  He grins and rubs his lips against mine. “Take off your dress.”

  A thrill rushes through me at his husky tone, my gaze locked on his. One at a time, I slip the straps over my shoulders. With a little shake of my arms, the silky material drops to the floor, pooling around my feet.

  The cool air hits my nipples, and I feel them pucker under Reese’s stare. He lifts his hand and drags the back of his knuckles across the tight peak, then trails it down my belly and into my wet center. One finger slips inside of me, followed by another.

  “The first time I saw you was in a porn flick,” he murmurs, his fingers moving in and out, dragging across the spot just inside that makes my toes curl and my breasts heave. “It was you and some redheaded woman, licking and touching each other while some big bastard fucked you from behind.” Pressure builds in my core as his thumb joins the stroking. His eyes never leave mine as he speaks.

  “You are so fucking sensual, Alex. I could watch you fuck all goddamn day. The way you moan, the way your perfect fucking tits sway with every thrust. The way you roll them round hips of yours to get as much of a man’s cock inside you as you can. You enchanted me.”

  He pulls out his fingers and pinches my clit, causing a shockwave of pleasure to burst through me. “I had Lush pursue you as an actress so I could have more say in who you were fucking.” He rolls my clit beneath his thumb as his face comes down to my breast. “I chose the people, the scenes, even the scripts.” He drags his tongue across my nipple. “Do you know why?”