Reckless

by R. M. Martinez

  “Come and work for me.” He said.

  “Nooo.” She said slowly.

  “Hear me out.” He said, taking her hands in his. “I’m just going to say this and I don’t want you to say a word until you’ve taken the time to really think about it.”

  “Okay.” She agreed.

  “I want you.” He said, simply.

  She opened her mouth to say something, but he placed a finger to her lips to silence her. “You’re incredibly sexy and from the moment I saw you, I decided that I wanted to taste you.” He pulled one of her hands to his lips and kissed it. “You will work for me and for me only. I will show you everything you need to know about the business world and introduce you to the right people. In return, you will be mine for the next few weeks.”

  “Yours?” her eyebrow cocked up.

  He dipped his finger into the waistband of her jeans and pulled her closer to him. “Mine.” He reiterated.

  “What does that mean?” she asked.

  “It means that I take care of you in the business world, and you take care of me in the bedroom. It’s a win/win, Brianna.” He shrugged.

  She gaped at him. He wanted her to sleep with him in order to get directly to the top. He was treating her like a high priced call girl! The arrogance! He was such a bastard and even though she was extremely tempted to take his offer and press her body against him and let him drag her off to his cave, she couldn’t do it. Shaking her head, she took a step backwards, well aware that his hand was still wrapped around her wrist. Her skin actually burned where he touched her, and she was starting to wonder if he was the devil incarnate.

  “I’m not for sale, Lucifer… I mean, Lucian.” She told him.

  “I’m not trying to buy you, Brianna.” He said.

  “What exactly is it that you are trying to do, Lucian?” She couldn’t hide the irritation that suddenly crept into her voice.

  He grinned and kissed her with so much heat that her knees buckled and he had to catch her before she fell. His body moved so that she was pressed against his car. She didn’t know what came over her but she was kissing him back and heat was pooling in her belly.

  He was going to hurt her. She knew it.

  Four

  It wasn’t going as planned, but he’d take it. He didn’t mean it to sound like she’d be his paid prostitute, but it was definitely the way she took it. Damn was she cute when she was pissed off at him and he couldn’t help himself when he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. What he didn’t expect was what came next.

  She pulled away and slapped him.

  He watched her as she flared her nostrils at him. She looked like she wanted to kick his ass and he’d welcome her try. He wanted an excuse to tackle her to the floor, to pin her beneath him and have her beg for release…. In every sense of the word.

  Without a word she turned and stormed back towards the club. That damn bouncer held open the door for her, placing his hand on the small of her back as he guided her inside. Then he turned around and smirked at him before following her inside.

  He stood, contemplating if he should march in there and throw her over his shoulder and spank her for her defiance, or if he should just leave. He chose the latter, knowing in his gut that she was eventually going to come to him. Why else would she kiss him like that? She wanted him as much as he wanted her. It was a win/win.

  Starting his car, he noticed a figure in the shadows leaning against another vehicle, watching him. He didn’t like to be watched. He was a man with a lot of wealth, and with that wealth came enemies. He gave one last glance at the door to the club and pulled out his phone. Brianna wouldn’t appreciate him waiting for her after work, but he didn’t want her to be followed home.

  “Caleb, get down to Fire and Ice and follow Brianna. I’ve spotted a potential Bogie.” He said.

  With that, he headed home. He need to prepare for her. If he only got one night out of her, it was fine by him. He’d only pushed for more because he had a feeling that he may want another taste before moving on, but no matter. She’d be his for a night, maybe even a weekend. He just hoped that she didn’t take it out on his sister. Kelsey didn’t need to know about his sex life, which was why he never made it a habit to hit on her friends. This was actually a first.

  “And last.” He murmured as he turned onto the highway.

  Five

  Brianna got the distinct impression that Kelsey’s best friend, Amira, didn’t like her. It was more the fact that she would shoot her nasty glares than the rude comments she would murmur whenever Kelsey invited her to join them for lunch, shopping, or whatever they were doing. She wasn’t very big on drama so she’d always turn them down. Besides, she wanted to spend as much time as she could with Jon before his big tour.

  She was sitting in the studio, watching the band record their new album. The number one song on the record was the one he’d written for her and she smiled as he sang the last verse and looked straight into her eyes. She loved him so much, she didn’t know how she was going to survive the summer without him.

  “That’s a wrap for the night.” Wayne The Producer (yes, that’s his name) announced.

  Jon came out of the booth and kissed her forehead. They were supposed to head to the police station to meet their old foster parents for dinner but she could see that Jonathan was hesitant as usual. Of course she wouldn’t make him go, but they’d made an agreement that they would try to resolve things with them. After all, their parents loved them. It wasn’t their fault that the rest of their family didn’t.

  So, she silently held his hand as he drove them into Denver and pulled into the parking lot of the police station. She silently held his hand as they walked into their old social worker, Janet’s, office and waited for their parents.

  They were greeted with all smiles and hugs from Janet and her husband, Bill, as they chatted about their childhood and their current lives. Jon announced that he’d just been signed to a record deal and the whole room exploded with Bill and Janet’s joy.

  “What did we miss?” Aaron Jamerson asked behind them. Standing next to him was his wife, Sarah, who looked like she was dying to get in on the hugging but was unsure if she’d be welcome.

  She was right. The room went silent as Jon and Brianna stared at their former foster parents. They could have easily passed for her biological parents. She had almost the exact same green eyes as Sarah, and though her hair was curly, it was only a shade darker than Sarah’s dark brown hair. Aaron was tall, dark skinned and handsome. He was also a cop, hence the meeting at the police station.

  Jon squeezed her hand and she knew that she had to speak first.

  “Jonathan just got signed to a record label. A major one.” She announced.

  “Congratulations!” Sarah smiled and hugged him.

  “Congratulations, son.” Aaron said, shaking his hand. She ignored the fact that she felt Jon stiffen beside her when Aaron called him, “Son”. Instead, she focused on smiling at their foster parents and playing nice.

  “I just moved into a new apartment.” She announced.

  Her mother grinned and hugged her. “You know you could always come…. Home.” She finished the last part slowly and looked up at Jon. “Both of you. We love you.”

  That was it for Jon. He stormed out of the building, leaving everyone in stunned silence. Brianna threw out a quick apology and followed her best friend. She climbed into the passenger seat of his car and watched him send a quick text message to someone before peeling out of the parking lot. She knew what he was going to do and she was powerless to stop him. She just hoped that he didn’t make another mistake. One child was enough for now.

  He dropped her off at home, but she didn’t move from the car. She sat there, waiting for him to say something, anything to her. She didn’t dare touch him, because all of his anger usually reverted to sexual energy and she didn’t need him trying to cross the line with her again. They’ve been down that road together and barely survived it.

&nbs
p; “Call me tomorrow.” She said as she finally reached for the door handle.

  He leaned in and kissed her cheek. She nodded and slid out of the car. She watched as he sped out of the parking lot and disappeared down the street.

  As soon as she walked into the apartment, Kelsey and her friends were staring at her. She just wanted to be alone because if any one of Kelsey’s bitchy ass friends said a word to her, she was going to explode.

  “Bree, some guy called for you while you were out.” Kelsey called out as she headed to the kitchen for a bottle of water. She frowned. Jon was with her, so who else would be calling her? “Says his name is James Connor and if you don’t call him, he’s going to come find you. He sounded pretty hot.”

  Brianna froze as images from her past violated her mind. James Connor was Aaron and Sarah’s nephew, and the cause of the discord in a once happy home. Jon and his sister, Taylor, were the Jamersons’ first foster children. When Bree arrived much later, Taylor had gotten heavily into drugs, married some deadbeat, and had two drug addicted babies. Jon said it was James’ fault and never got into it.

  Until the day one summer he caught James coming out of Brianna’s bedroom with his shirt off. He couldn’t have known that they’d been secretly seeing each other all summer because James asked her not to say anything about it to anyone. But how was she supposed to know that James had raped Taylor. And how was she supposed to know that Jon would explode and beat James bloody.

  Of course she took Jon’s side when she learned the truth. The thing about James is that he had a dark side, and the day Jon beat him up was the same day she tried to break up with him. It didn’t end well and she still had mental and physical scars from what James did to her.

  She was shaking as she walked to her bedroom. She closed the door and curled up in her closet. All she could do was chant the mantra that her therapist told her.

  “He’s long gone. I’m safe. He’s long gone. I’m safe……”

  But he wasn’t long gone, and somehow he managed to track her down.

  Six

  “She’s been in her room for days, and I can’t get ahold of Jonathan.” Kelsey stage whispered.

  His sister was worried sick. Frankly, so was he. Kelsey shouldn’t have to deal with someone’s mental breakdowns. Especially when she was about to head to Mexico for spring break. He worked hard to make sure his sister didn’t have to worry about anything. Sure, she had her own trust fund to fall back on, and she owned part of their father’s company, but she was too young to have such worries and he was extremely pissed off that Brianna had her scared out of her mind.

  Banging on the door, he commanded, “Brianna? Open up.” When she didn’t budge he said, “If you don’t open this door right now, I’m breaking it down.”

  He stood there listening for movement. When he heard nothing, his anger disappeared and was replaced with worry. What if she had a medical condition and she was passed out on the floor or something? His heart fell into his gut as he rammed his body against her door. When it splintered open, he glanced around and saw the room was in perfect order and Brianna was nowhere to be found.

  “Are you sure she’s in here?” he demanded as they roamed around the room. Kelsey opened the closet and gasped.

  “Yeah. She’s here.” She murmured.

  Fragile didn’t even begin to describe how she looked. He could tell that she hadn’t eaten for days by how much thinner she looked. Her eyes were swollen like she’d spent the whole time crying, coming out only for bathroom breaks.

  Kneeling down, he reached into the closet and pulled her into his arms. She was very light and it worried him. He walked over and sat on her bed, settling her into his lap. He pushed her hair out of her face and caressed her cheeks. Something fierce came over him and he felt the need to protect her like she belonged to him.

  “Water, sandwich, and an extra blanket.” He ordered his sister like she was one of his staff members. She didn’t argue, she just scurried off.

  “Anything else?” Kelsey asked. She looked so concerned that she brought him out of the little trance he had going, staring at Brianna’s face and stroking her hair.

  “Do you know what happened to her?” he asked. He was looking for any trace of violation or bodily harm.

  “No.”

  He lay Brianna on the bed and pulled his sister into his arms. “How about you spend the night with one of your friends tonight since you leave for Cancun in the morning. I’ll make sure she’s taken care of.” He said.

  Kelsey hesitated then nodded. She knew that he would make sure Brianna was taken care of without taking advantage. He just needed to figure out what the hell happened to her.

  After his sister gathered her things and left, he went back to where Brianna lay. He hated that she made him feel so vulnerable. He had no idea what to do about her, but he did know that he wasn’t about to leave her alone while his sister was away. So, he threw a bunch of things he figured she’d need into a bag, and carried her to his car.

  It was when she was strapped in and they were speeding down the road that she stirred and awakened from her sleep.

  “Where the hell are you taking me?” she demanded as she looked around at her surroundings.

  “My place.” He said.

  “I….We…. No!” she stuttered and screamed.

  He was going to keep driving, but he saw that her skin had a green tinge to it. He pulled the car over and she climbed out and emptied whatever contents she had in her stomach. He was right behind her, holding her tangled curls away from her face.

  “What the hell is wrong with you, Brianna?” he demanded.

  He wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take. He hated being left out in the dark, especially when it came to his life. He needed complete control at all times. It was crucial to him. To his survival.

  “Take me home.” She murmured.

  “I am.” He led her back to the car and buckled her in.

  She didn’t say another word to him. For almost three days.

  Seven

  She felt entirely too safe the last few days in Lucian’s apartment in the city. His home was beautifully plain. It looked exactly like a place that an interior decorator got her hands on, yet it was still completely masculine. Black leather couch, an oversized television on top of a huge fireplace was all the decoration he had in the living room besides one simple picture of him and his sister along with their parents in a frame on a side table. He also had a beautiful view of the city with the Rocky Mountains looming behind it.

  He wouldn’t let her move from the couch. He wanted her to take the bedroom, but she completely refused. She would not sleep in his bed. Ever. He was already acting like her master and she’d read the books. She knows how billionaires think. They’re into that BDSM shit, and spankings, and apples in the ass. All the stuff she refused to even think about.

  Yet, she was thinking about it. And when he came out of the bedroom fresh from a shower with his shirt unbuttoned, yelling into his phone, she licked her lips, thinking that she wouldn’t mind ripping that shirt off and making him relax. She took a deep, shuddering breath and sipped the tea that his housekeeper, Ursula, shoved at her earlier.

  “Off to work?” she asked when he pocketed his phone and started messing with his tie.

  He stopped fidgeting with his tie and looked up at her. “So you’re talking to me now?” he smirked.

  She shrugged and took another sip of her tea. “You did kidnap me.” She pointed out.

  “You were scaring my sister.” He said.

  Throwing back her throw blanket and standing, she had to count to ten before she spoke to him again. She was about to spew out a smart retort when she noticed that he was staring at her. Really staring at her. She didn’t know why. She was in her cotton pajama shorts and purple top, her hair was in a messy bun on top of her head, and she often fell asleep in her glasses. She was suddenly embarrassed and dropped her eyes to the floor.

  “Why are you such
a fucking brat?” he murmured.

  Her eyes snapped up. “You’re such an asshole!” she spat.

  “I wish you would grow up, Brianna!” he yelled.

  “I hate you!” she screamed.

  “I fucking hate you too!” he growled.

  Next thing she knew, his mouth was on hers, setting her whole body on fire. His lips trailed burning kisses down her neck as she pulled at his shirt until it tore off of him. He lifted her off the ground and dropped her on the couch while simultaneously climbing between her legs. Her shorts were pulled over her legs, his pants were around his ankles, and suddenly, he thrust inside of her, filling her until she ached.

  He slowly rocked his hips and she nearly lost her mind. She gripped his hips and moved her hips up to meet his with each thrust.

  “Damn, sweetheart. You’re so fucking tight. When was the last time you’ve done this?” he groaned. Then he stiffened. “Don’t tell me you’re a vir-“

  “Shh….” She cut him off, squeezing her eyes shut. “I’m coming and I don’t need to hear your voice right now.”

  He slapped her thigh and her eyes snapped open. “Don’t talk to me like that.” He growled.

  She bit his lip and he started moving inside of her again. She closed her eyes at the onslaught of different sensations that hit her as he thrust inside of her. He grabbed her hips and started moving like he was punishing her. She threw her head back and screamed as he slammed into her. Her nails dug into his hips and back and he growled with pleasure before kissing her.

  It was like someone else had taken over her body. Her mouth was everywhere on him and she was actually loving this. His hands scorched her wherever they landed and before she knew it, her eyes rolled back and she was screaming out his name on another orgasm. But he couldn’t just let her ride it out. Just as her body started the spasms, he withdrew from her, making her whimper. Then his mouth was on her clit, gently stroking until she saw stars. He completely undid her and she didn’t know if she loved it or hated him for it.