by Faye Avalon
He pushed her hard against the wall, and she stumbled back.
“You want to watch that mouth of yours, baby doll.” He grabbed the hand she pressed against his chest, and pushed it down. “You should put it to better use by telling me when I can expect the merchandize I’m waiting on.”
He pressed hard against her and she felt the hard bulge of his erection. As bile rose in her throat, she turned her head away. He shoved her arm behind her and fastened both her wrists in one of his hands. With his free hand, he grabbed her chin and yanked her back to face him. “I’m beginning to wonder if all these delays should carry a penalty clause. How about we say one blow job for the delays so far, then each further delay can incur a full out fuck?”
She bucked against him, sickened to her stomach. “Let go of me.”
Using the weight of his body, he easily kept her pinned to the wall. He forced his knee between her legs and ground his erection against her. Her bitter protest was muffled by his mouth pressing against hers. Squeezing her eyes shut, she shook her head and tried to get him to release her. Only when a sharp tap sounded at the door, did he slacken his grasp.
“Gina? Are you okay? Your class is here and waiting for you to start.”
At the sound of Lucy’s voice, Gina shuddered out the breath she’d been holding. Whatever she was paying her friend, it wasn’t enough. “Okay.” Her voice shook and her heart pounded. “I’ll be right there.”
As Costas eased off, she shoved him back. He glared at her with those menacing black eyes she’d once found a turn on but now found disturbing. “Saved by your interfering little receptionist. This time. But don’t think I’m not tallying up what you owe me, baby doll. You can start paying your dues tonight.”
Gina felt her limbs turn liquid and she started to shake. “Get lost.”
“Coleman’s away,” he sneered. “In his absence, and with you unable to fuck him and do the necessary, you can fuck me.”
Ice ran through her veins and she couldn’t seem to stop shaking. “Mitchell asked me to join him.”
“In Paris?”
“I didn’t say where he’d gone.” She swallowed through a painful throat. “If Mitch finds out you’re keeping tracks on him, he’ll—”
“Do nothing. Not if you get me what I want.” His eyes went to slits. “Although I’m not sure I’ll let you go to Paris to do it.”
She pushed away the nausea that swam in her stomach. Doing Costas’s bidding was bad enough, but having him dictate what she could and couldn’t do was intolerable. Suddenly, all she wanted to do was be with Mitch. “I have to go. If I refuse, what makes you think he won’t dump me as a matter of course?”
She waited while he considered it, then he narrowed his eyes. “I doubt he’d dump you. He’s got the taste of what’s between your legs now. I know how fucking intoxicating you are, baby doll.” He ran his thumb roughly across her lower lip. “Once a man has felt this mouth around his cock, it’s hard to forget.”
She flinched at his crudity, but held her breath as he pursed his lips and continued to consider the situation. Sucking in his breath, he straightened his jacket and moved back. “These delays are starting to piss me off, but at least now we have the penalty clause in place, I have something to ease the disappointment.”
He glared down at her. “I’m wondering if maybe you’re starting to enjoy this assignment a little too much and that’s why you’re delaying the inevitable. Maybe you need a reminder of what’s at stake.” He reached into his pocket and took out a pen drive. “Why don’t you refresh your memory and take a look at this? And when you’re watching, you can think about how it will affect your reputation, not to mention the scandal it would cause Mommy Dearest when she’s dumped by her distinguished lover and forced to relinquish her run for mayor. All because her daughter has a penchant for kinky sex.”
He hooked a finger into her T-shirt and dropped the pen drive down her cleavage. “While your viewing yourself bound and spread naked on my bed, moaning and writhing as you’re willingly tortured with ice cubes and candle wax, think about the millions who’ll soon be watching the very same movie.” He tapped her chest where the pen drive lay. “Remember, we’re talking viral, baby doll. A scandal of epic proportions.”
He grinned and walked to the door. “Instant stardom for my baby doll. Think of the offers you’ll have coming in. You could be the next media porn queen. You’ll make a damn sight more cash than you do with this lousy studio. And then if Mommy is devastated by her daughter’s bawdy pursuits and the loss of her political career, you can dry her tears with real silk handkerchiefs.”
With another feral grin, he yanked open the door and went out.
Gina stumbled to her chair and sank down. The pen drive sat uncomfortably against her skin and she yanked it out of her shirt, fisting it in her hands.
Seconds later, Lucy appeared in the doorway. “I hope I did the right thing. I wasn’t comfortable with the way he stormed in and I didn’t like the look on your face when you saw him.”
“You certainly did the right thing.” And maybe one day soon her body would stop shaking. “He won’t take no for an answer.”
“Are you all right? Do you think you should do something? Like tell the police?”
“No. I’m fine. I can handle him. It’s just that it’s taking a while for the message to get through.” Gina sucked in a steadying breath. “Listen, I know you’re scheduled to not work this weekend, but have you made any plans?”
“No. Do you want to come to my place again? We can do something together.”
“It’s not that, and I hate to ask, but would you swap your weekend off and maybe work this one?”
Lucy raised her eyebrows. “Of course. If you want me around because of him I—”
“No. Mitchell is in Paris and he’s asked me to join him. I was wondering if you’d be willing to manage the studio for me. I’ll give you a bonus to make it worth your while.”
Lucy’s mouth broke into a huge smile. “That’s fabulous. About Mitchell, Paris and me managing the studio, I mean. As for the bonus, I don’t need one. After everything you do for me, I’m happy to repay the favor. When are you going?”
“Tonight.” She wasn’t entirely sure when Mitch wanted her to join him, but after Costas’s visit, she was heading out of London tonight and wasn’t about to hang around a moment longer than she had to. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Mind? I’m stoked. And I’ll take really good care of everything. You can go away, have a good time and know everything will be fine.”
“I know.” Although she wondered if anything would ever be fine again. “Thanks. I really appreciate it. I’ll bring you back something lovely from Paris.”
Lucy sighed. “Paris. And Mitchell. You are one lucky woman.”
She would have been. If only she didn’t have such a huge agonizing weight on her shoulders, right now life would be just about perfect.
Chapter Ten
“Oh, wow. It’s even more amazing than I thought.” Gina leaned forward as the cab sped through Bastille. “I can’t believe I’ve never been here before.”
Mitch had been waiting for her at the Gare du Nord. She would never forget the sight of him standing big and welcoming on the platform of the Eurostar terminal. She’d walked toward him, wheeling her small suitcase, and he’d given her the sexiest smile.
He’d caught her up in a hug and kissed her as if they were lovers reunited after a lengthy separation, desperate to touch and cling. It had been one of the loveliest moments of her life. He’d picked up her case, grabbed her hand and together they walked out of the station to a waiting cab.
On the journey through the busy evening traffic toward their hotel, Gina leaned forward to catch the sights while Mitch stroked his hand down her back. Eventually, she sank against the seat of the air conditioned cab, and placed her hand on his
thigh. “Thanks for inviting me.”
“Thanks for coming.”
“How did your meetings go? Has the trip been successful?”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and drew her closer. “The meetings were fine, and the trip’s becoming more successful by the minute.”
She smiled back at him. She wanted to tell him that even though they had only been apart for a little more than twenty-four hours, she’d missed him. The thought surprised her, but fast on its heels came the awareness that she still had to get that photograph. It was becoming more and more distasteful to her. How could she subject Mitch to such treachery? While she knew she had no choice, it made her heart heavy to think of betraying him so badly.
She’d secured the pen drive Costas had given her in the zipper compartment of her bag, but she hadn’t watched it. She couldn’t bear the humiliation. Not again. She’d watched the snippet he’d shown her when he’d first blackmailed her. That had been more than enough, and her stomach burned along with her face as she thought of it now.
“Hey, are you worried about the studio? I’m sure Lucy can handle it.”
Mitch’s assurance broke into her maudlin thoughts. She looked up at him, and decided nothing was going to ruin their weekend together. Although the specter of that video loomed large, she wanted it to take a backseat for a while. “You’re right, she can handle it. So, what did you have planned for the weekend?”
“That would be telling.” But the smolder in his eyes left no doubt as to what the main part of those plans involved. “Want to do anything specific? I can work it into the schedule.”
“The Eiffel Tower, of course,” she said breathily. “And I’d like to go to The Louvre.”
“Already on the list,” he said and touched his mouth to hers. “Anything else?”
“Whatever we can fit in.” Although she wanted to sample the delights Paris offered, being with Mitch was all that seemed to matter. She ran her hand up and down his thigh. “I’m really pleased I came.”
The look he shot her turned her limbs to mush and sent molten heat to her core. The hand he’d wrapped around her slid down until his fingers brushed the side of her breast. He lowered his voice and brought his mouth to her ear. “I’ll be really pleased every time you come.”
Her body shivered with response, and Gina cast a glance at the driver, who met her gaze in the rear view mirror. She really hoped he didn’t understand English too well.
When the cab drew up outside the front of the red carpeted steps of their hotel, Gina’s eyes widened. “We’re staying here?”
Mitch followed her gaze. “Something wrong?”
“No. It looks really classy.”
“Then it’ll suit you.”
While she tried not to let her mind drift back to that video, she couldn’t help a renegade thought that if he thought her classy, he would soon have cause to retract his compliment.
After Mitch had taken care of the necessary formalities to book Gina in at reception, they walked through the opulent, but sedate, foyer toward ornate cast iron elevators.
On entering the fourth floor suite, Gina dumped her bag on the nearest chair and all but raced for the window. “Oh my God, you can see the Eiffel Tower.”
“I had it put there just for you.” He came up behind her. “Does it meet with your approval?”
“It’s fabulous.” She took one last look at the monument, then turned in his arms. “I think I love Paris.”
“We haven’t started yet.” He kissed her, deep and long, and her senses, already filled to the brim, swamped her. She felt as if she were drowning in need. As if she’d been starved for him. She linked her arms around his neck as his tightened around her and he continued to subject her to a deep, lingering kiss.
When he drew back, they were both breathing heavy. He kissed along her jaw. “God, I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too.” She let her head fall to the side and closed her eyes. “You have this way of crawling under a woman’s skin.”
The slide of his mouth along the tender side of her neck caused delicious little thrills to wend their way all along her nerve endings. Her breasts tingled, her nipples hardened, her core heated and dampness spread between her legs.
He cupped her backside and drew her even closer, his hard length pushing against the heat. She widened her legs to accommodate the delicious press of him as she breathed in his heady and hypnotic scent.
“We haven’t seen the bedroom yet,” she said as his fingers dug into her backside. “Maybe we should make that the first stop on our sightseeing tour.”
“You’re a woman after my own heart.” With that husky declaration, he lifted her into his arms and carried her through to the bedroom. Her laugh turned into a squeal when he dumped her on the mattress. He leaned over her, dark and dangerously gorgeous. “This first stop on our sightseeing tour requires you to be naked.”
“Really? That was never mentioned in the guide book.”
He brought his mouth to within an inch of hers. “Baby.” His tone was low and sexy. “What I have planned, you won’t find in any guide book.”
Her panties were positively soaked by now and she squirmed beneath him. “Will it require you naked as well?”
In answer, he stood and yanked his polo shirt over his head. His chest gleamed wide and muscled, that light covering of hair arrowing across his pectorals and then down past his navel to disappear beneath his trousers. He unhooked the fastening on his waistband and slid down the zipper, watching her with a dark gleam in his eyes.
Spellbound, she enjoyed the strip show, until he leaned over her without pulling off his trousers. “Your turn.”
He eased away and she sat up. She wriggled to get the skirt of her dress up to her waist and his gaze fell to her panties. It lingered there until she yanked the dress up over her head and threw it to join his shirt on the floor.
Maneuvering her back on the bed, he kissed her mouth, her jaw, down her throat and along her collarbone. She closed her eyes, thrusting her breasts up to his advancing mouth, her nipples aching for his touch. His hot mouth covered her nipple through the red lace of her bra, and she writhed achingly as he subjected her to such delicious torture. Then he did the same to her other nipple.
His fingers nudged at the lace cup of her bra, and he pushed it down. Cupping her breast, he stroked his thumb over her hardened bud, while continuing to kiss the other breast. Gina squirmed on the bed, the air conditioning whispering over her body as Mitch continued to heat her up to flaming.
She ran her hands over his shoulders, across his back, holding him close to her and knowing she couldn’t get him close enough. When he reached around to unhook her bra, she arched a little so he could slide it away. At last, her breasts were freed to his gaze and touch.
“I love your breasts,” he groaned, using his thumbs to rub each nipple. “So damn responsive.”
She slid her leg up and down his thigh, her pussy burning for some attention. Reaching down between them, she pushed her hand into his trousers—and grinned.
“You’ve gone commando.”
She wrapped her hand around his erection, and he sucked in a breath. “I thought it would save time.”
“Good plan. I love your prick,” she said, parodying him. “So damn responsive.”
“You’ve got me where you want me,” he breathed, squeezing his eyes shut when her grip tightened. “What do you intend doing about it?”
“Probably along similar lines as what you intend to do with me.”
He touched his mouth to hers, so lightly that for long delicious moments, they exchanged breaths and stared into each other’s heated gazes as she stroked his cock and he fondled her breasts. “Do you want to know what I intend to do to you?” he asked. “Do you want to know that I intend to be inside you as many damn times as possible? That I intend to
fuck you until you can barely stand?”
“I can get behind that. But we’ll see who can barely stand at the end of it.”
In response, he stood and toed off his shoes before yanking off his trousers. “You want to make a bet?”
She reached her arms over her head, stretching languidly as she indulged herself in a long slow perusal of his magnificent body. “Why not?”
He grabbed at her panties and pulled them off. “I want to eat you out until you scream, but I’m just not sure I’ll last if you so much as moan right now.”
He sheathed himself, crawled between her legs and pushed her knees apart.
“We’ve got the whole weekend,” Gina said, reaching for him. “And I want you. Now.”
She’d barely uttered the final word and he thrust into her. She was ready for him, but she gasped and squeezed her eyes shut at the sheer force of his possession, at the thickness and length of his hard cock stretching her, filling her. Her hips rose to meet each thrust and she lost herself in sensation until nothing else mattered except Mitch and the desperate pleasure he offered. Her cries filled the room. She clutched for release, and when Mitch emptied himself, she was right there with him.
They lay together, the muted sounds of the Paris evening filtering through the silence. The odd horn blast, squealing tire, police siren.
Eventually, Gina’s shoulder protested against the weight of Mitch’s satiated body lying on top of her, so she shifted.
“Sorry.” His muffled apology against her neck made her grin.
She moved her hands over his back. “I’m not complaining. I sort of like this part.”
“How so?”
“The downfall. You know, after the big event?”
He shuffled onto one elbow and smiled down at her. “Since you look pretty well serviced, I must have done my job.”
“No complaints here.” She slid her foot up and down the back of his leg. “I really like the weight of you against me.”