“I bought this dress for you so that I could see you in it. So I could enjoy the way you look in it. Not so you can put yourself on display for other men.” His hand pushed one of the thin straps of her dress down, and when he said the part about her being on display for other men, his grip tightened and the material cut into her flesh.
“Stop!” Addison pushed him away. “You have no right to tell me what to do, not after how you lied to me.”
“I didn’t lie to you.”
“You didn’t tell me you were engaged.”
“You never asked.”
“Oh, great answer.” She rolled her eyes.
“Addison, my relationship with Belle is complicated.”
“I’ll bet.”
“Would you like me to explain?”
“Not really.” But of course she did. She wanted an explanation, she’d been praying for an explanation.
“There are certain things that a man in my position is expected to do. Having a stable relationship is one of them.”
Addison gaped at him. “So it’s exactly what I thought. She’s like one of those political wives. You get to do whatever you want, and as long as you come home to her at the end of the day, she’s fine with it.”
“Not exactly. Belle gets certain things, yes, and she allows me certain freedoms.
But it’s a business arrangement, a friendship.”
“You’ve never slept with her.”
“Not in a long time.”
“So you have slept with her.” Addison felt like she was going to cry. How could she believe anything he said? And more importantly, how could she allow herself to get in deeper with this man? She’d already allowed him to have sex with her, to do things to her that she’d never even imagined. Then she’d moved into an apartment that he’d paid for, with things he’d picked out. It was insane, the way she was acting.
“Yes.” He was staring at her now, his blue eyes bright. His face was defiant, but at the same time, there was a softness there, almost like he was hoping she wasn’t going to turn her back on him.
Addison started to sob. She wasn’t sure why, but suddenly, all of the emotions of the past twenty-four hours, all of the hurt and confusion and fear had come to a head.
“Addison,” Nathan breathed, crossing the room to her. He gathered her into his arms and let her cry. He smoothed her hair, and pulled her close.
Eventually, her tears stopped.
“I can’t… I don’t think I can do this,” she said.
He nodded. “My life is complicated, Addison. It’s full of twists and turns and darkness. I will do everything I can to take care of you, to make you happy and to make sure I never hurt you. But I will never be able to give you the kind of life you most likely want.”
“How can you say you’ll never hurt me? I already feel as if you’ve hurt me so much.”
“I know, and for that, I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention.” His face was close to hers now. “God, Addison,” he breathed. “I know I should let you go, but I can’t.”
And then he kissed her.
His mouth was warm and his lips tasted of champagne. Addison poured her emotions into the kiss. Just tonight, she told herself. I’ll give myself to him just for one more night.
Soon Nathan’s kisses got more aggressive, and his hands began to roam over her body. His mouth moved down her neck, tracing a flaming trail from the hollow of her neck down to her cleavage.
Then his hands were back at the straps of her gown, pushing them down as he tried to get at her breasts. But the dress was too tight, and the straps wouldn’t slide down.
Nathan’s eyes burned with lust as he tore at the straps until they snapped off the dress.
Addison moaned as her breasts burst free.
“God, Addison,” Nathan said. “You are beautiful.”
His tongue moved to her nipples, teasing them into tight little peeks.
Then he moved away from her, over to the other side of the room. She stood there, exposed from the waist up.
“Get on your knees.” All trace of the soft, caring tone that had been in his voice was gone.
Addison did as she was told.
“Come to me.”
She began to move to him on her knees, but he stopped her. “No.” He shook his head. “Crawl.”
She got down on her hands and knees and began crawling to him, not stopping to think about how degrading it was that she was crawling to a man. She didn’t care about anything in that moment except for pleasing him, and the pulsing need that was throbbing through her body.
When she was finally in front of him, he reached down and cupped her chin, tilting it up until she was looking into his eyes. His thumb stroked her cheek gently, and then he slipped his index finger into her mouth.
Her lips closed around it, and then he pulled it out and trailed it down her neck until he reached her breast. His finger found her nipple, moving in a slow, wet, circle.
She arched her back and moaned, but he put his hand on the back of her head, holding her still.
“No,” he said, grinning down at her. It was a wicked grin, the grin of a man who was about to get exactly what he wanted. “Unbutton my pants.”
She did as she was told, reaching up and undoing his belt, then his button, then finally unzipping him. The whole time, his eyes were on hers, burning all the way into her soul.
When his cock sprung free, Addison gasped. Last night he’d been behind her, pushing into her, taking her that way. She’d been able to tell he was big, but now she was surprised that she’d been able to take him.
He held himself at the base of his shaft and rubbed the head of his dick on her lips. “You want to suck it, don’t you?” he demanded.
“Yes,” she breathed. “Please.” She opened her mouth to take it, but he pulled back.
“Beg me.”
“Please,” she said. “Please, I need to feel your dick in my mouth.” The words were just as shocking as they’d been last night. She’d never talked like this to a man before, had never said anything so overtly sexual.
He pushed it between her lips, and she took it in her mouth, his hand on the back of her head, guiding her. The whole time, his eyes were on hers, the intensity and want burning so bright it was a turn on in and of itself.
After another minute or two, he pulled out of her mouth.
“Stand up,” he commanded. He pulled his belt out of his pants.
Addison instantly became afraid. Was he going to hit her with the belt? The thought terrified and excited her all at once, and then she became even more afraid. Not of getting belted, but of her excitement. How could she want him to take the belt and spank her with it? How could that turn her on? It defied logic and reason, and yet the thought of it was making her ache.
But she didn’t have to worry, because Nathan had other plans.
He tied the belt around her wrists, then pulled her over to the door of the coatroom, leading her by the belt. “Arms up.”
Addison put her arms over her head, and Nathan looped the ends of the belt up and over a hook that was on the back of the door. She felt another jolt of fear. She was completely vulnerable in this position, completely at his mercy. Her breasts rose and fell with every gasping breath she took.
Her dress was already ruined, but Nathan wasted no time in sliding it down her body and tossing it to the floor. Then he removed her panties, leaving her in just her stilettos.
He cupped her chin roughly and brought his mouth to hers. His kiss was penetrating and deep, making it clear her that he would be taking whatever he wanted from her. His hands found her bare breasts, cupping them as he kissed her, his fingers teasing her nipples.
“You are mine,” he growled into her ear. “And you will not dress the way you did tonight for anyone but me. I am the only one allowed to look at your body.”
She leaned her head back and moaned. The thought of being his and his alone turned her on so much she couldn’t take it.
H
e took her chin in his hand again, and forced her to look at him. “Do you understand?”
“Yes,” she gasped.
His other hand moved down her body, over her stomach, trailing down between her legs. His finger found her clit, moving in a slow swirling circle. “Do you understand me?” he demanded again.
“Yes.”
“Tell me.”
“I’m yours. Only yours.”
His finger slid inside of her, and she bit down on her lip to keep from coming.
And then, just when she was on the edge of ecstasy, he pulled away from her. He grabbed her hips, pulling her back to him, and then his cock was inside of her.
He fucked her slowly for a few seconds, and then he began to go harder. She wrapped her legs around him, wanting him to take her body, to consume her, to use her for his pleasure.
He fucked her harder and faster. Her back was against the door, her wrists still tied over her head, the belt cutting into her just enough to hurt. But the pleasure of him being inside of her overwhelmed any pain she was feeling.
Finally, he came inside of her, filling her with warmth.
He pulled out and looked at her, grinning devilishly.
“That’s what happens when you show up somewhere looking like that,” he said.
“I have to take from you what’s mine, and make sure you understand our arrangement.”
“Please,” she begged. “I understand, Nathan, I do.”
His eyes raked up and down her naked body. She felt sore and spent, but an ache burned between her legs.
He moved toward her and kissed her again, then reached up and allowed one hand free from the belt. The other hand he kept tied.
He moved her hand down between her legs, pushing it there, and she gasped as she realized how wet he had made her.
“Touch yourself,” he whispered. “Touch yourself for me.”
Her face flushed and she looked away from him, embarrassed. “I…I can’t…” she said. She had never pleasured herself in front of a man before. She didn’t even like talking about the fact that she did it, much less let someone see her doing it.
“Addison.” He tightened his grip on her hand, the one that was tied with the belt.
“Do as I say.”
She moaned and began to touch herself, her fingers rubbing her clit harder and faster. She wanted so badly for it to be him that was touching her, but she knew to ask for that that wouldn’t get her what she wanted. In fact, it might make him angry. These were Nathan’s rules, Nathan’s game, and she was just a player.
“That’s it,” Nathan rasped. He took a step back from her so he could watch.
His eyes smoldered as she played with herself, her fingers moving faster and faster.
Finally, her orgasm enveloped her, and she cried out in ecstasy.
Nathan pushed his body back against hers, his hands in her hair. He kissed her mouth, her face, her cheeks, her forehead, then reached up and let her hands free.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked softly.
She shook her head. “No.”
He pulled her hands to his face and kissed her wrists. There were faint red marks where she’d been tied, but they didn’t hurt. In fact, she felt a sense of calmness and relaxation flowing through her.
“My dress is ruined,” she laughed.
He smiled and brushed a piece of hair off her face.
“Stay here,” he said. “I’ll be right back. When I leave, lock the door.”
She nodded.
He slipped through the door and when he came back a few minutes later, he had a fresh change of clothes for her. “How did you…?”
“Don’t ask questions, Addison,” he admonished.
She nodded. Nathan had managed to move her whole apartment into a different location today, all without her knowledge. Of course he could rummage up a new dress for her.
He kissed her once more and then went to leave.
“Wait!” she said.
He turned around.
“We still haven’t figure out what to do about the apartment.” She raised her eyebrows at him, challenging. He might have a hold on her when it came to sex, but that didn’t change the fact that he had a fiancé. She needed to have some say, some explanation, something if she was going to be part of his twisted little arrangement.
“I’ll come over tonight,” he said. “We’ll discuss it then.”
Before she could say anything else, he was out the door.
Addison dressed quickly, shoving her ripped dress into her handbag. It barely fit, and the purse bulged. But she couldn’t just leave the dress in the coat closet. What if someone found it, and remembered it was hers? Unlikely, but she wasn’t taking any chances.
Addison smoothed her hair and checked her face in her compact. Besides a few hairs being out of place and her cheeks being flushed, she looked surprisingly put together.
She took a deep breath, forced herself to wait five minutes, and then walked out of the coat closet. Her heart was beating fast in her chest, and her face felt hot. She looked around the party. The party guests were all just as she’d left them -- having fun, talking, laughing, drinking and eating.
Addison stared at them. Surely someone should know what she’d just been up to in the closet, surely someone would have noticed, or heard, or something. But they hadn’t. In fact, everything seemed completely normal.
Addison let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and began to walk quickly toward the exit. She needed to get home. After what had happened, the last thing she could be expected to do was go back to the party. How could she make small talk and mingle after what Nathan had just done to her?
“There you are!” a voice trilled.
Addison turned around.
It was Savannah. What was she doing here?
“Oh, hi, Savannah,” Addison said. “Are you enjoying the party?”
Savannah smiled. She was holding a glass of red wine in one hand, and a small gold clutch in the other. “I like your dress,” she said, ignoring the question. “Where did you get it?”
“Oh, this? Um, it was a gift.”
“Really? From who?”
“From my parents. They got it for me when I graduated.” It was the first thing that had popped into her mind.
“Really? That’s a pretty sexy dress to be getting from your parents.” Savannah took a slow sip of her wine and gave Addison a knowing smirk.
“Well, I hope you have a good night,” Addison said. “I was actually just leaving.”
“Already? The party’s just getting started.”
“I know, but I have to be to work in the morning.” Addison started to take a step toward the door, but Savannah just kept right on talking.
“I know what you mean,” she said loudly, so there would no mistake that she intended to keep the conversation going. “I wanted to leave a few minutes ago myself, but I couldn’t get into the coat closet to get my shawl.”
Addison’s mouth went dry. Her first instinct was to quicken her step and put as much distance between herself and Savannah as fast as she could. But it was like running from a dog -- if Addison showed she was upset and tried to get away, Savannah might just go after her harder.
So Addison forced herself to stop.
“Well, I hope you enjoy the rest of your night,” she said. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow?” She gave Savannah a friendly smile.
But Savannah didn’t return it.
Instead, she glared.
And then Savannah got so close that Addison could see the lipstick on her teeth and smell the wine on her breath. “If you think that sleeping with our boss is going to help you get a promotion, you’re wrong. Joan’s column is mine, and I don’t care what you do with Nathan Sweet – you’re not going to get that job.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Addison said. She was surprised at how calm her voice sounded, since her legs had turned to jell-o and her stomach had twisted into a knot.
<
br /> “I think you know exactly what I’m talking about,” Savannah said. She looked over her shoulder to make sure no one could hear them. Then she leaned in even closer to Addison. “Fix your lipstick, honey, because you look like a whore.”
And with that, she turned and walked away.
Addison’s eyes filled with tears as she ran from the party.
Was Savannah right? Was she a whore?
How could being with Nathan feel so right and yet be so wrong? It didn’t make sense. What Nathan had just done to her… it had been amazing, but now Addison was staring to feel used, like she should be ashamed of what she’d allowed him to do. Her thoughts jumbled together and she began to feel dizzy.
She pushed through the crowd in the lobby and out onto the street, taking in big gulps of air.
And then she started to run.
Look for SWEET JEALOUSY BOOK THREE, coming soon…
Sweet Surrender (Sweet Jealousy, Book Two) Page 4