by J. S. Cooper
“Well, you do know him, and you think he’s hot, obviously.” She laughed. “You’ve met him, what…two times now? And you did see him two nights ago.”
“I only saw him because I was working as a servant at his house party. And I barely saw him.” I made a face at her. “And he’s not hot,” I said, my face flushing as I thought about his deep-green eyes and jet-black hair. Hot was an understatement. Henry James was scorching. So scorching that I could still feel my skin sizzling.
“You’re bright red, Lacey,” Eliza said, staring at me with a wicked grin on her face. “This is the second time you’ve dreamed of him. Two nights in a row, to be exact. He must have really made an impression on you at that party. Exactly what happened and exactly what did you dream?”
“Nothing happened.” I moaned and collapsed back down on the bed. “Why is this happening to me? Why can’t I get him out of my head?”
“Why you, nothing! You know you love it.” She laughed and gave me an evil smirk. “So, I have something to tell you. Something that is quite appropriate to be discussed at this time.”
“Oh?” I sat up again, looking at her curiously. “What?”
“So, Scott told me that Henry invited us up to some party this weekend at his country mansion. Shall we go?” She looked at me intently, and I wondered if she could see in my face how excited I was. Henry had invited us to a party? Why?
“He did what?” I blinked up at her, my heart racing. “Henry James invited us to a party?”
“I know. He doesn’t even know us.” She shook her head and I could see that she looked slightly baffled. “Are you sure you didn’t do anything with him?”
“I’m positive. Trust me,” I said. “Though I have to admit a part of me wanted to, but the sane part of me realized that he’s bad news. And I don’t need bad-news guys in my life, not after Steven.”
“Yeah.” Eliza looked away, her face looking serious. “We don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
“Do you think we should?” I asked, hoping I didn’t sound too eager. Why had Henry invited us to his mansion? What was he hoping to get? A secret thrill ran through my body at the thought of spending an entire weekend with him. I barely knew him—but I suppose my body didn’t care about that. Plus, what could he really do to me? We were connected in a way that meant I would end up seeing him from time to time, even if I didn’t want to. His brother was married to Eliza’s boyfriend Scott’s sister. We would see each other in the future. At least I secretly hoped we would. I wanted to scream out in frustration as Eliza and I stared at each other while I waited for her answer.
“We should go.” She nodded. “If you’re sure this is what you want.”
“Yeah,” I said softly, though I wasn’t really sure what I wanted. Or what I expected to happen. Was I stupid to be daydreaming about a man that I barely knew and who seemed to be an asshole? I knew I was stupid, but I couldn’t stop myself from thinking that just one night or one weekend with him couldn’t hurt.
Could it?
***
“I told you a long car ride would be helpful for your book,” Eliza said as she drove us to Henry’s place.
“I guess.” I made a face at her as I adjusted in my seat and turned on the AC. “I feel like the book sucks already.” I groaned.
“Read me the first line again,” Eliza said. “We’ll come up with the perfect first line.”
“Okay,” I said and opened my notebook, grateful for the opportunity to think about my book and not the weekend ahead. I had no idea what was going to happen with Henry, but I had a feeling I was walking into some sort of trap, like a greedy mouse that could see that the cheese was tied to a piece of string but continued anyways.
“The only thing I know is that I don’t know anything.” I read out loud from my notebook and I could tell from Eliza’s face that that wasn’t going to be a winning sentence. “Okay,” I said. “How about, ‘As soon as I saw him, I knew that he was the one for me’?” I peeked at her face and groaned at the expression there.
“Way too cheesy.” She shook her head.
“‘Take me now and take me hard’?” I said quickly.
“Too much like a porno,” she said with a laugh. “Though I guess you could say that to Henry tonight.”
“Eliza!” I groaned and laughed as well. “You can say that to Scott.”
“I just might.” She giggled.
“TMI!” I laughed. “Okay, how about, ‘It was a dark and dreary night.’”
“Too depressing,” she said in a deep voice.
“‘The clock struck twelve and I suddenly—’”
“Too much like Cinderella,” she interrupted me.
“‘His lithe body attracted my most innate of senses.’”
“Too boring.” Eliza shook her head and sipped from her bottle of water.
“Ugh. This sucks.” I sighed. “I should just forget it. Play the Player is never going to come out. No one will buy it. No one will want to read it.”
“I want to read it.” Eliza looked at me quickly and gave me a huge encouraging smile, her blue eyes looking excited. She really was a good actress because she had me convinced that she really was excited to read my book. “I can’t wait to read the whole book.”
“You don’t even like my opening sentence.” I shifted in my seat again before reaching for the bottle of water and taking a sip myself. “I wish I could have a glass of wine right now.”
“I like that.” Her eyes lit up as she gazed at me.
“No, that’s not the sentence. I’m just saying that I would love a glass of wine right now. Like, I would die for a glass of wine.”
“I like that even better.” She grabbed the bottle of water back and nodded enthusiastically, her voice excited. “‘I would die for a glass of wine,’” she said, her voice melodramatic and dreamy.
“Uhm, what?” I narrowed my eyes as I gazed at her, wondering if she had finally lost it.
“That’s how your main character is feeling as she says that sentence.” Her expression changed and she laughed as she saw the look on my face. “She’s angry, annoyed, full of sexual tension as she asks this handsome stranger, this player, to pour her a glass of wine. She’s not going to literally die, but maybe something in her feels like it will die if she doesn’t have this connection with him?”
“You really think the book should start with that sentence?” I said, my voice full of doubt as she bounced up and down in her seat.
“I would die for a glass of wine, sir,” she said, her eyes narrowed as she thought. “She definitely needs to call him sir. That always turns up the heat a hundred percent.” She laughed and then she gasped. “Oh, my gosh, I know what comes next!”
“Uhm, what?”
Her expression changed to a smirk and she winked at me. “‘What do I get if I do?’” she said in a masculine voice. “That’s what the guy says next, in a deep, sexy voice.”
I started laughing then and decided to get into the role-play with her. “‘You, sir, you don’t get anything,’” I said in my daintiest voice, my eyes glowing as I pretended to be the heroine.
“‘Well, that’s a pity,’” Eliza said in her gruff voice.
“‘And why is that?’” I asked in a soft voice.
“‘Because I want you,’” she said and pushed her hand in her crotch in an exaggerated fashion that made me laugh. “‘I want you. In my bed. Tonight.’”
“Oh, Eliza!” I burst out laughing and I quickly grabbed my pen and turned my notebook to a blank page. “This is not going to work exactly for Play the Player, but you’re right, I like it starting with that phrase or a suggestive, sexy comment. But maybe something even more specific and direct, because my main character, well, she’s particular.” I grinned. “Maybe she’ll say, ‘I’d do anything if you get me a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, sir.’”
“Love it,” Eliza said and started to pretend to pour me a glass of wine. “‘Here you go, madam.’”
“H
aha, thanks.” I pretended to grab the glass from her and took an exaggerated long sip then leaned my head back against the headrest. “What about this for the next lines,” I said excitedly as I imagined being the heroine in the book. “‘The wine tasted slightly bitter as it slid past my tongue and down my throat, but it was only seconds before my belly warmed and my taste buds adjusted to the tannins. I took another sip and it went down smoother this time. I felt warm inside and all of a sudden, an image of…’” My voice trailed off as an image of Henry James popped into my mind, his enchanting green eyes mocking me. My face grew hot and I could see Eliza looking at me curiously out of the corner of her eye.
“Continue,” she said encouragingly. “That sounds good so far.”
I grabbed the water bottle and took another sip of water and swallowed hard as I sat there, my mind a blank. I didn’t even know what else to say. All I could think about was Henry James and drinking wine with him.
“Lacey?” Eliza sounded concerned and then her phone started ringing. “Oops, that’s Scott. I bet he’s wondering where we are.” She made a face as she answered the phone. “Hey,” she said, and I closed my eyes for a few seconds as I felt nerves growing in my stomach. We were nearly there. We were nearly at Henry’s. For some reason that made me feel both extremely excited and extremely nervous at the same time.
Chapter Three
“Thong or granny panties?” The voice was husky and made me scream as it entered my room. I looked up and saw Henry standing there with a huge smirk on his face. I stared at him, trying not to show how happy I was to see his handsome face. I only hoped he couldn’t hear how loudly my heart was beating.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I turned around, my eyes flashing as I stared at my unwelcome visitor. “Don’t you knock? I’m changing!” I glared at him, standing there in my bra and panties, and placed my hands in front of my breasts.
“I didn’t think you’d mind.” He shrugged, not looking concerned at all that he’d almost caught me naked. His eyes sparkled as he looked at my hands and he let out a small chortle.
“You didn’t think I’d mind?” I gave him my sternest voice and narrowed my eyes at him. I wasn’t going to let Henry James know that I fancied him. No way, José. I was not going to give him that satisfaction of knowing that his green eyes were sending my body into a frenzy.
“Well, do you?” His enchanting green eyes mocked me.
“Of course I do, why do you think I practically screamed when you walked in here?”
“Because you’re trying to tease me.” He spoke softly, his voice deep and husky as he stepped closer to me.
“Tease you?” I said, my voice rising slightly as his arm grazed mine lightly. “What are you talking about?”
“With your screams.” He grinned as he stared down at my bare stomach. “Trying to let me know how you will sound when my tongue licks inside your bellybutton and then—”
“Yeah, I think you can stop there,” I said quickly, cutting him off, my face heating up as he chuckled. “You think you’re funny, huh?”
“Not particularly.” He shook his head, but the grin was still on his face.
“You’re not funny,” I said adamantly, in case he didn’t know.
“I don’t want to be funny.” He looked around my room. “I hope you like your room.”
“It’s cute in here,” I said softly, even though I didn’t want to admit how luxurious and wonderful I found it to be. “Well, beautiful, really. Nice decorating skills.” I gave him a small smile.
“Thank you. And I appreciate your efforts to make it even more immaculate.” He grinned at me as he looked over at the bed and my open suitcase.
“You’re a regular comedian, aren’t you?” I frowned and made a face as I looked at the pile of clothes on the floor and on the bed. It had taken me a while to decide what to wear and the room looked like a tornado had passed through it just minutes before.
“No, I told you I don’t want to be funny. What I want is for you to let me show you exactly what a real man—”
“You got that wrong,” I cut him off. “It shouldn’t be exactly what, it should be exactly how. You want to show me exactly how a real man treats his lady.”
“No.” He took another step forward and I took a step back, right into the wall. He put his arms above my shoulders and moved his face closer to mine, so that his eyes were peering into mine from a mere two inches away. “I want to show you exactly what a real man does to excite his lady.”
“What?” My jaw dropped as I gazed at him, my face burning. I could feel his body heat close to mine and my body trembled slightly as his legs pressed into mine.
“You’re writing a book, right?” His eyes lit up as he moved even closer to me. I could feel his breath on my lips now.
“Yes,” I squeaked out with a nod, cursing Eliza for having told everyone about us going over opening lines for Play the Player in the car when we’d arrived at the house.
“Don’t you want…” He stopped talking as his lips lightly brushed mine. My eyes widened as I felt his hands in my hair. I could feel every part of my body on edge with excitement. His eyes danced as he kissed me lightly, and I waited to feel his tongue slipping against mine. I would only allow it for a few seconds, but then I would push him off me. Unfortunately, he stopped the kiss instead of proceeding. My whole body felt let down as he moved away from me slightly.
“Don’t I want what?” I breathed out in a daze as his right hand fell to my waist and his palm pushed my body slightly forward.
“Don’t you want to write a book that’s inspired by true life?” He winked as he kissed the side of my cheek right next to my ear. “Don’t you want the orgasms you write about to be inspired by greatness?” he whispered in my ear and then blew gently.
“What are you doing?” I almost groaned as I pushed him away. “You’re so rude,” I said as my heart raced a million miles a minute.
“Giving you options.” He grinned as he stood there, staring down at me. “And the ability to write a truly great, awe-inspiring book.”
“I don’t need your options, thank you very much, Henry James.” I glared at him and shook my head. “All I need is for you to leave my room right now.”
“Your wish is my command,” he said as he walked to the door and then stopped and looked back at me. “And that’s your every wish, Lacey,” he said as he slowly licked his lips. “Your every wish can be my command.”
“I command you to leave right now,” I said, my voice shaking with both annoyance and excitement.
“Okay, but maybe next time you’ll command me to come,” he said and with that he left the room, chuckling as I stood there gasping in feigned disgust. I watched the door for a few seconds and nearly jumped when the door opened again and he walked back into the bedroom and just stared at me for a few seconds.
“Come to my bedroom tonight—if you dare.” His light green eyes challenged me as he walked over to the bed and took a seat. I watched as he undid his belt buckle and started pulling down his zipper. I swallowed hard as I watched him, wondering if he was about to start stripping. I could see the top of his red boxer shorts and I looked away, to stop myself from doing something stupid.
“If I dare?” I blinked at him. “How old do you think I am, that I would care about dares?”
“I double-dog dare you.” He ran his fingers through his short, crisp, dark hair and smiled at me, a mocking smile if ever I’d seen one, and then he sat back.
“Double-dog dare me?” My eyes narrowed as he then stood up and stretched. I watched as he undid his shirt and dropped it onto the ground. He then ran his fingers over his abs and I swallowed hard.
“That’s if you’re not too scared, Lace.”
“My name is Lacey.”
“Your name is whatever I want it to be.” He chuckled to himself and walked toward me. “So what’s it going to be, dear Lacey?” I could see the challenge in his eyes and something in me snapped. If he wanted to p
lay games, I could play games.
“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.” I took a small step toward him and smiled as I looked him up and down, purposefully objectifying him to try and make him feel insecure (not that that worked on him). “I have to decide if it’s worth my time. If you’re worth my time.” I looked down at his chest and then away dismissively.
“Oh, I’m more than worth your time.” He laughed and grabbed my hand. “The real question for you to think about is if you can handle everything I want to do to you.”
He placed my fingers on his chest and ran them all the way down his body, stopping at the edge of his boxers and then dropping my fingers. I stood there, breathing hard, my fingers touching the silk of his undergarments. I stared into his eyes and we both waited to see what I would do next. He let go of my hand and I was about to push my fingers down when I heard a loud slamming. I ran away from him quickly and he laughed. I looked over at him and watched as he did his pants up and picked up his shirt. He walked over to me and his fingers lightly grazed my cheek. His eyes mocked me as he leaned down and gave me a quick peck on the forehead. I was in over my head and we both knew it. I looked up at him and I watched as his tongue darted over his pink lips.
“What are you going to do, Lacey?” he asked softly, challenging me. I didn’t know what to say. The question of whether I was going to jump into his maze and start playing the games he had planned for us both was one that I couldn’t answer in this moment.
“I’m going outside,” I said quickly as I stepped back. “I’ve got to get dressed.”
“Scaredy-cat,” he said, and I felt his hand brushing against my stomach and moving up toward my breasts. My breath caught as I waited to see what he was going to do next. This was going to be a long weekend. I was playing with fire. And if I wasn’t careful, I was going to get burned. Really burned. I could feel it in my soul.
“Run, rabbit,” he said as he moved his hand away, and I hurried to the other side of the room. His voice was smooth and teasing. He was loving the situation I was in. I knew it for a fact. He had me where he wanted me. I knew that submitting to my needs would be a bad move. It didn’t matter what I wanted. Henry James was forbidden to me. I had to remember that, or there was going to be hell to pay. I knew it as surely as I knew the sky was blue. If I decided to play his games, I was going to get burned.