“A beautiful, gorgeous, living Greek god,” she trailed in her thoughts.
He pulled up her tee shirt, throwing it as far as he could. He made a mental note to dispose of it. He picked her up and she wound her legs around his hips as he carried her to his bed. He laid her gently on it, his eyes laden with a heated desire. He lowered himself down on her and cupped her breasts, kissing her nipples, tugging at it softly with his lips.
He trailed her midriff with his mouth and nibbled at her pelvis. She squirmed delightfully under him, grazing his erection. He gave a low, growling moan.
He fiddled impatiently with her jeans, and finally pulled them off her slim legs with a little help from her. He stepped out of his clothes hurriedly in an eagerness to have her. He reached down to her dark curly mound and eased a finger into her wetness.
She thrashed from the sensuality he was arousing in her. And when he replaced his fingers with his carnal mouth, she wound her fingers into his hair, forcing him to taste further into her.
Finally, when he knew she couldn’t take it any more, he snaked up her length, and plunged into her, deep and fast until a spasm of sweet pleasure rocked their bodies into an erotic stillness.
*****
Kate moaned from an internal throb in her femininity. She last knew she had fallen asleep in the arms of the man she was forced to accept she had more emotions for than just despise.
Her eye lids fluttered open to find the night was all over. The amber rays of the twilight morning was pervading through the blinds of the bedroom. But the embers of their desire were still alive and burning.
Clayton had nibbled down to her taut stomach and a wave of heat engulfed her body. He found the nub in the moist petals of her woman hood by the tip of his tongue and drove her body to a quivering height of pleasure-filled insanity.
She moaned and trembled, completely under his power.
“I want you, Kate,” he muttered. “You are mine. Only mine.” And he parted her legs with his thigh, pulling her closer to his hips.
“I can’t let you go,” he breathed huskily. “Never again.” And he drove into her deep and hard, like a man possessed. “I’m sorry I can’t do more for you, Kate. But I waited so long… you made me wait so long,” he mumbled savagely.
His words, entwined with his hard, invading length, burning her in her sensation as she moved in unison with his savage rhythm. Finally, they both let out a cry of intense pleasure, drowning into a sea of climactic bliss.
*****
“We need to arise, my sweet Kate,” he said, tenderly. “After I shower, and have breakfast, I would love to eat you all over again. But breakfast first. We need all the energy we need to maintain the stamina.”
She blushed. They had sex all night last night, managing only with at least five hours of sleep.
“Clayton,” she whispered. “What we did… it was a mistake.”
Clayton swung his legs to the sides of the bed. “No, it wasn’t. How could it be when I wanted it? And so did you, so don’t deny it.”
“We wanted it but that still doesn’t make it any less of a mistake.”
He turned around at her and pulled her tightly into his arms. He held her hair roughly, pulling her head back so he could look into her eyes. “I’m going to have a shower. When I return, I expect you in this apartment, where I can find you. If you run, I’ll hunt you down. I’ll find out where you live and I will drag you back here to ravage your body all over again. Understood?”
Her eyes glazed with the tears she was holding back, a heat-wave rising in her core again. She raised her hand to trace his jaw-line. But instead he threw her back roughly onto the bed.
“Not now, my darling,” he muttered, thickly. “I’m afraid if I give in to you now, I’ll never make it out of bed until tomorrow.”
He rose up and strode into the bathroom.
Kate fell back, her hand on her head in disbelief. What had she had gotten herself into? Why couldn’t she control herself around him? What spell had he put her under? All her planning to say this and that and whatever not, meant nothing when he stood before her, his steely gray eyes peering into her soul, his lushes thick hair invoking an urge to run her fingers through them. She couldn’t believe that her lustful desire for his body was so strong that it rebelled against all her sensibilities.
Sensibilities… it was then it occurred to her that she hadn’t let Rudy and Libby know she was sleeping out. A guilty pang filled her as she envisioned them scared and alone, worried about her safety.
She sprinted naked to the living room to wear her tee. She searched the floor and was puzzled she couldn’t find it. In haste, she reached for her bag and pulled out Clayton’s shirt she had borrowed yesterday. She had washed and pressed it with every intention of returning it. However, it seemed she had no other resort but to borrow it once again. It was either that or parade au naturel in Clayton’s apartment. Not that Clayton would have minded the latter, she was certain.
She dialed her home number. Rudy answered.
“Rudy?”
“Kate,” he said in a thankful sigh. “Where are you?”
“Rudy, honey, I’m so sorry. You okay?”
“We’re all fine. But what happened? I thought you were coming back in a few hours.”
“I thought I was. But I got caught up… with work. You didn’t worry, did you?”
“No, I thought just as much. And Mom assured me the same. Don’t worry about us. It’s Saturday, so it’s gonna be a lazy day at home. And even if it weren’t, we still could have managed. We’ve been doing so for a long time, Kate. So yeah, don’t rush and take your time. Are you coming home now?”
“Honey, I have to spend the day with a friend. I need to sort some things out. But I will return home tonight. I promise.”
“Okay. Not a problem. By the way, Lily wants to speak to you.”
She heard Lily scrambling for the phone before she spoke in her little, cute girly voice. “Kate?”
“Hello, pumpkin,” Kate said, tenderly. The corners of her mouth lifted. Lily always made her happy even in her most trying of times.
“I miss you.”
“I miss you too, honey.”
“Come home soon. Bye.”
“I will, baby. Bye hon.”
She switched the phone off and looked lovingly at the river in the distance. She never felt happier in her life.
In the corner of the hallway, Clayton grit his teeth, his face darkened with fury.
She had a family. A partner and a child. How could he have made such a grave error? Why didn’t he run a background check on her personal life? He had assumed… just assumed that if she was an escort, she must not have been burdened with a family. He had principles, one of which was engaged women, particularly those with a family, were strictly off-limits. He never waived in his principles and he was not going to deter from them even now.
But he would give her a chance to explain. He would give her that much. And if she continued to deceive him, he was going to show her the door. But first he would teach her a lesson. A vital one she would remember for the rest of her life.
*****
He strode casually into the living room. She turned to him, her brown eyes lighting up on seeing him. He recognized his shirt on her. And when she rose from her chair, it fell short of her knee. He never had seen his shirt look as good as it did on her. Seeing her in it hardened him immediately, despite all rationality of what he had heard earlier.
She wrapped her hands around his hips.
“You smell so fresh,” she said, breathing the soft flesh of his neck.
He gave her a small smile. “Is that what you wore when you fled from me yesterday?”
Her cheeks colored. “I hope you don’t mind. I had every intention of returning it but I can’t find my tee.”
He combed her hair, cupping her face. “Your despicable tee has been chucked down the garbage chute and must be now on its way to the dump.”
“What?” sh
e took a step back, astounded. Her lips curved up and let out a giggle. “Why do I keep losing all my clothes around you?” She moved her hands under his shirt seductively. “It is becoming an expensive habit, Clayton and I will have you compensate for them,” she teased.
He smiled at her. “And I will. Just let me know your price and I will leave it on the dresser.”
She pulled back in shock, tears welling in her eyes. “Clayton, I didn’t mean it like that.”
He had loved the way she felt against him and he immediately regretted his snide remark. Maybe, he should have held back just a little more, just until he had fulfilled his desire for her. But then he reflected on her earlier conversation to her partner and the loving way in which she had addressed him. She never had that glint in her face when she spoke to him. It was obvious who she loved. Is that why she never kissed him? He couldn’t believe he still craved for the moistness of her tongue, to plunge his own into the depths of her mouth, to caress and wound her lips.
He tensed when he thought of the tender way in which she had spoken to her child. Her eyes had sparkled, her voice softened remarkably, compelling a wave of tidal emotions surge through his nerves. She loved her child, he knew that.
She was a woman and a mother. And suddenly he wanted that. All of that.
He swiveled away from her. She was a witch, enchanting him to do as she pleased, defiling his beliefs, wavering his principles.
“Now for business,” he stated, sternly.
“Business?” she repeated, uncertainly.
“You’ve forgotten why you’re here. Fine prints, remember.”
She stood in utter silence, watching him.
He continued. “Like I said you shall be my mistress as contracted. But I can see you’re not inclined to continue as one and I have no wish to force you into it. In light of this, I will contract your services for a further six days as I have yet to devour you completely to my satisfaction. I suppose six days would be enough to fulfill that. I would needlessly have you wandering in limbo after that. I can’t imagine wanting the same woman for such a lengthy time. I agree I must have been out of my mind when I contracted you for an indefinite period. But you are such a beauty, the fault isn’t mine entirely.” He gave her a mocking grin. “I need to head over to Sitka, Alaska to take care of some personal matters. I expect you to accompany me. I’m kind of in short notice for a female escort. And since I’ve hired you, why not make the best use of the service? We fly out tomorrow. Are there any questions?”
She was quiet, frozen at her feet.
“Do you need to arrange anything before we leave?” he asked, watching her carefully, waiting for her to explain her home circumstances. She said nothing.
“None?” he asked again. “So I believe you’re okay to stay the night here. I will arrange for your wardrobe as your choices have been proven to be quite inappropriately unconventional. My poor mother would have a proper fit if she had seen what you had opted to wear to an executive meeting. And that tee shirt from last night…enough said.”
She lifted her chin, staunchly at him. “No.”
“No?” He raised an eyebrow.
“No, I will not go anywhere with you until you agree to my terms.”
He leant against a couch. “Okay, spill then.”
“I want an upfront payment of six hundred thousand in my account by the end of the day. Until you pay me, I’m not going anywhere. I will go home and once you’ve notified me that the money has been deposited, only then will I return to you tomorrow.”
He clenched his jaw, a muscle moved in his temples. It was always about the money. How could he have forgotten that in all his lust for her?
“That’s quite a sum for six days,” he raised his eyes at her. They had turned molten from his inner suppressed rage.
“A hundred thousand a day,” she remarked carelessly. “I am a highly recommended escort after all. It’s okay if you can’t. I understand. There is always another to meet the demand.”
He tucked his hands in his pockets to hide his tightly, balled fists. He wanted to shake her, choke her with his hands until she begged to be his alone. Only then he would be satisfied to leave her, crumpled and shattered in her sorrows.
“I’ll have it arranged,” he said, instead. “But I’ll do even better. I’ll give you another hundred thousand at the end of the contract if you perform to my standards. Anything else?”
She shook her head.
“Very well,” he said, coldly. “I will see you here tomorrow morning. We leave at ten. Like I said, if you run, I will hunt you down and you will pay for it.”
He turned away to head back into the privacy of his penthouse. “You know the way out. And keep the shirt. Consider it part of the package.”
Chapter 7
Her return home was worse than it was last morning. She quivered as she walked. Her hurt suppressed inside of her as she tried to restrain them from escaping her eyes.
All those sweet words Clayton had uttered to her were said in a fever of lust. She should never have expected anything more of it. Clayton had always seen her as a whore and this morning, treated her as one. She couldn’t blame him. She was hired in that capacity. It was she who had forgotten why she was in the company of a wealthy man such as Clayton Reid.
She was glad though that soon it would be over. In six days, she would no longer have to see Clayton. She could put him in her past and never make mention of him again. She contracted to be his escort for one reason only- to survive the financial pressures inflicted upon her family. And now she could finally manage them. It was obvious yesterday that her mother was in dire need of a liver transplant. Six hundred thousand was sufficient to carry out the transplant and the medication and care that followed it.
She trembled as she reached the door of her apartment building. She had not known how she had made it home. She was so caught up in her emotions and her thoughts; she must have walked home in a trance.
“Bella dama?” she heard his voice.
Lorenzo. She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. She had not known that he had been following her for a while.
“You okay, bella?” he asked, worriedly.
Her tears poured out of her eyes, her body quavered with her pain.
He leant forward to steady her and she fell against his chest, crying uncontrollably.
He stood there, his arms around her, allowing her to liberate her heartache in his strong embrace.
*****
They sat silently on a bench in their building courtyard. She didn’t know how long she had sat there. She didn’t even know how they had got there. But Lorenzo had sat by her all those hours so patiently, leaving her amazed and gratefully steering her away from her thoughts of Clayton.
Children played about them in the rustic swings and playground gym. She watched his eyes light, the corners of his mouth lift as he continued to observe the little tots run in and about the gym, in their high-pitched chatter. He was like an angel, being there for her whenever she needed him most. She touched his arm gently with her fingertips to see if he was real.
He turned his head and smiled. “How are you feeling now, bella dama?”
She tilted her head at him and smiled. “Much better.”
“Is it the pendejo again?”
She nodded.
He frowned. “Do you want me to give him a message? To leave you alone?”
She looked at him with a sparkle in her eye. “And how is it that you will give him this message?”
He flexed his arms, displaying his well-toned biceps and triceps. “I have my ways.”
She burst into a laugh.
He seemed hurt and stood abruptly before her. “You think I can’t do it? Go on, feel these abs,” he commanded, pointing at his sides. “They’re the best abdominal muscles in the entire building, bella dama. I work on it every morning and evening.”
She let out another roar of laughter. “I believe you, Lorenzo. I don’t have to touch it, do I
? You might be encouraged to drop down to your boxers to give me a private bodybuilding show.”
Lorenzo grinned. “I could do that. Anything to see that smile, bella dama.”
She shook her head in wonder. “Spare me, Lorenzo. I think I’m much better now. The very thought of you parading in just your underpants has cured me of anymore pain.”
He sat back with a sad thump beside her, his eyes back on the children playing.
He was certainly quite lean and muscular, she noticed. Not at all bulky like those body building contestants she saw on TV. He was in perfect proportion, built with tenacity and power. She imagined him standing up to Clayton. He was almost as tall as him and despite his young years, she truly believed he would be able to give as much as he would get if they ever did get involved in a scuffle over her. Although, knowing Clayton, he might probably pay his way out of the fight first, in fear of getting his suit soiled.
He turned to her suddenly, his face glimmering with a sudden spurt of an idea. “Come on,” he said, pulling onto her arm.
“What?” she said, slightly bewildered by his enthusiasm. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” he replied, winking at her. “Trust me.”
And she didn’t understand why, but she did. She followed after him in quick steps to match his long strides, as they headed back into the city.
They walked a while. Kate didn’t mind it at all. She found that just walking alongside Lorenzo was quite assuaging on her mind, placating her pain. Somehow his presence and that he often turned around to check if she was still at his side, made her feel stronger and more resolute to face the six days she would be spending with Clayton.
“Here,” he pointed excitedly to the store.
She laughed. Dino’s Gelato, she read the pink neon lit sign. “What are we doing here?”
“Ice-cream,” he said. “Hard ice-cream, soft ice-cream, French ice-cream, ice-cream on a cone or in a tub. Whatever it is, it is the perfect cure for a broken heart, bella dama.”
Red Collar Page 7