Roxy lets out a sigh as we reach the guest bedroom. “Damn. Oh, well. Here it is .”
Roxy, swings open the doors, stepping inside with us. “Welcome to the . . . I think John called it the Morgan Bedroom. No clue why .”
The room is huge, with a giant picture window that dominates one wall and a balcony outside, white walls, and a huge gray four-poster, canopied bed in the middle. The rug is gorgeous, and every carved twist of wood, from the details in the door frame to the gilded edges of the molding on the ceiling, screams luxurious. I look around, and I notice that our luggage is waiting for us beside the Cherrywood dresser .
“Goodnight, you two,” Roxy says, mischievously wiggling her eyebrows at us. “Don’t make too many bumps in the night. Or at least, muffle the screams when you do .”
Before I can protest, Roxy turns and walks out, closing the door behind her. I step toward the door and turn, realizing that I’m alone with Oliver for the first time since meeting him in the living room at Gavin’s .
The moment hits me, and I realize that I’m faced with the situation I’ve been dreading. This room is so extravagant, so why isn’t there a sofa in here that I can make him sleep on? The room has everything but a damn sofa .
“This is . . . nice,” I remark, trying to stall. I walk around the bed to the other side of the room, studying the night through giant French doors. “We’ll have a great view in the morning .”
“We will,” Oliver agrees, and I turn around to see him beginning to unbutton his shirt .
“What are you doing?” I ask, my voice unsteady. “You can’t be serious !”
He gives me a look before pausing. He’s got his shirt half opened, revealing a set of super-hard abs and tanned skin beneath .
“I’m unbuttoning my shirt. What’s it look like?” Oliver asks. “You know, I can’t exactly go to bed in a sports coat and khakis .”
My mind is flooded with thoughts of all the dirty, sexy things that could happen if I let them. I’d normally be down for a night of fun with a man like him, but I just can’t get over his cockiness. My pride’s getting in the way of a good fuck. But lying in a bed with him with only a few inches and some cloth between us? Asshole or not, his body is irresistible .
I grab myself by the arms, squeezing, trying to ward away the desire flowing through my body as the image of his lips burning into mine flashes in my mind. My pussy clenches as I remember the kiss from earlier that seemed to promise paradise. Oh, fuck .
I’m not caving on the first night. No fucking way .
I set my face as hard as I can and stab a finger at the floor. “I think you should sleep on the floor for tonight. I’m not sharing a bed with you .”
Oliver looks at me like I’m crazy before letting out a chuckle. “Like hell. I’m a man, not a dog. If you want to sleep on the floor, be my guest .”
He pulls his shirt all the way off, tossing it to the side. In an instant, I have a full view of him. Every muscle on his torso is defined and flows like a piece of artwork from one to the next, and all of them are saying fuck me, Mindy .
My knees give a wobble as they become weak. Sweet baby Jesus. He is on fire .
I place my hands on my hips, trying to be strong. “Yeah, that’s exactly why I want you to sleep there. You are a dog, and I don’t fucking trust you .”
On one hand, I’m pissed that I can’t let my pride go. I want to get in that bed and lick him from head to toe, but beyond his being an ass today, I’m scared. I’m scared what would happen if I sleep with him. And it’s totally not me. I’m on guard because he’s different. He feels . . . I can’t decide if the right word is dangerous . . . or special .
And he’s not really my fiancé, I remind myself. It’s pretend .
“When are you going to learn, Princess?” he says, walking over and placing his hands on my waist. “I don’t follow your orders.” He leans into me just a little, invading my space, and whispers in my ear, “And I think you like it.” I can hear the smirk in his voice .
His body is so hot that my temperature is rising. I can see the ridges between his muscles, ridges I want to trace with my fingernails and scratch lightly, just the way I know he’d like it. I look up at his full, sensuous lips, and I practically feel them on my skin .
Fight it, bitch !
I pull away, my chest heaving and my face burning. “Keep your hands off me.” I try to sound firm, but what comes out sounds more like a moaning whisper. “Remember my rules .”
My words sound so weak. I’m having a hard time even thinking straight, and Oliver grins as if he’s saying you’ll be changing that tune soon . “If that’s how you want it .”
“Yes, that’s how I want it,” I rasp, not even trusting myself to look at him. I stare at the door instead. “You need to follow the rules .”
No, you don’t! Take me now! my body seems to scream. Touch me, tease me, make me scream your name !
“I’m going to go change,” I mumble, trying to calm down. I go get my bag and walk into the adjacent bathroom. I stare at myself in the mirror, taking a big calming breath. I throw cold water on my face, hoping it’ll shock my system back to normal, but after patting it dry, the same lust-crazed, barely in control reflection still looks back at me from the mirror .
“Okay, Mindy. Get yourself together. You’re stronger than this. Stop letting him know he affects you and he’ll stop,” I whisper, but the girl staring back at me says I’m a fucking liar. And I’m pretty sure she’s right .
I go through my bag, finding my brand new nightgown. I bite my lip. I shouldn’t wear it. It’s only going to make things worse. But fuck him. He’s got me all worked up, so now it’s his turn .
I take my gown out, a little red number I got from Victoria’s Secret, and put it on. The satin slips over my skin and I feel sexy, my nipples hardening as the lace rests against the tops of my breasts, and I quickly brush my teeth, looking at myself in the mirror. I’ve made a lot of strong men go to their knees with a lot less than this, and Oliver Steele is no different. I can make him beg and then shut him down. Or at least I’ll be in control when I fuck him senseless .
I walk back out, strutting with each step and not saying a word .
Oliver’s sitting on the bed in just his boxers, and he pales when he sees me. He swallows a lump, and I have to smirk a little when I see another lump twitch and grow between his legs. “Uh, you’re wearing that ?”
I hide my grin as I walk over to the bed and sit down. “It’s my favorite nightgown. If you’ve got a problem with that, I guess you need to pull on some sweatpants or something,” I say with a raised eyebrow and a pointed glance down at his crotch .
His eyes burn into mine. My nipples get even harder, and I know he can see the diamond hard points. I don’t care. His lips seem to twitch, and I know he’s imagining sucking on them .
I pull back the blanket and lie on the sheets, stretching just a little bit, displaying what he isn’t going to get tonight. Oliver stares slack-jawed for a second before lying down, and then I see it. Lying down, there’s no way to hide it anymore. That huge fucking bulge .
His cock is straining to get out, and I’m both glad and regretful he’s wearing boxers without a front fly. I’d love a peek, but it’s hard enough already to not to want to pull it out. My mouth waters—I can't help it—and Oliver notices my swallow .
“If that’s what you want,” he says with a deep growl to his voice. There’s no teasing, no fucking around now. One word from me, and he’d fucking ravage me .
“It is,” I say, my breath rasping again. I turn away, pulling the sheet up and over me before squeezing my eyes shut. Desire burns through me. Oliver clicks off the light, and the minutes pass like years .
I can’t sleep. Several times, I almost roll over and grab it, reach for him. But I fight back the feeling. I can’t give in. I’m not gonna let him win. But why does it feel like I’m the one losing tonight ?
Chapter 10
Oliver
I wake up in the early morning sunlight to the sound of running water and a hard cock. Rolling onto my back, I let out a soft groan, opening my eyes. The ceiling is so high that it gives me vertigo for a moment, and I close my eyes again, reaching over to feel the warm sheets next to me .
The spot beside me is empty, Mindy’s soft, sexy body nowhere I can feel. I turn my head and open my eyes, seeing nothing but rumpled sheets that still hold her scent and warmth. She must be taking a shower .
I slept like hell, maybe the worst night of sleep I’ve ever had. Every time I would close my eyes, they’d fly open again at the slightest sound she made, hoping that every movement was her turning to me, giving in to the moment. I groan again, gripping the bedding and wishing she were right here and ready. I’d punish her with the wood she gave me all night long .
I look over at the bathroom, my mind drifting into fantasy mode, but after a night of maybe an hour or two of sleep at most, I don’t give a shit .
I lie in bed, trying not to think about her in that nightgown when she walks out. Thankfully, she’s dressed in blue jeans and a white scoop-neck top, but damn, she still looks hot as fuck. My eyes are silently and quickly undressing her as she saunters across the room and sits in the chair near the window. She bends down to pull on some socks and gives me a look down her top at the valley between her tits. My cock twitches again, and I’m glad the blanket’s over my waist .
“Sleep well?” Mindy asks, and there’s a hint of a smile on her lips. I know she thinks she’s won, but she’s dead wrong. I can see in her eyes that she’s just as sleep-deprived as I am .
I yawn, placing my arms behind my neck. “Pretty damn good,” I lie. “Haven’t had a night’s rest that good since the Delaney sisters.” I kick my legs a little, and the blanket slides down to my knees. I don’t do anything to hide my hard-on now, even squirming my hips slightly as if I’m moving to get comfortable. Mindy’s mouth drops open a little, and I know what she’s thinking about. “You ?”
“Oh . . . fine,” she says, her eyes falling to my cock before jerking away. I see red come to her cheeks and I smile .
“It’s a quarter till eight,” she says, her voice small as she suddenly focuses on making sure the tongue on her shoes is just perfect. “You should get ready. Mom was serious about everyone being there for breakfast .”
“Leave any hot water for me?” I ask jokingly. A mansion like this could probably heat enough water for a hotel and not have a problem .
“Should be enough,” she says, still refusing to look at me. She fusses with her shoes a little more, then stands up. “I’m going to head down .”
“No,” I say, rising from the bed, and she looks at me with surprise. “Wait .”
“What—” she starts, then crosses her arms underneath her breasts, frustrated. “Why ?”
“Don’t you want us to be more cohesive? We need to go down to breakfast together .”
“Uh, yeah, I guess,” she says, biting her lip again, and she looks so cute. I smile and swing my legs over, giving her my back as I go over to my bag. “So . . . I guess I’ll just hang out. Hurry, please ?”
I chuckle. Please, now? Progress. “I’ll be ten minutes .”
I gather a change of clothes, some nice black dress pants and a white dress shirt, and walk into the bathroom. I take a quick cold shower, half to take care of my dick and half to wake me up. After a quick shave, I brush my teeth and step out, feeling more in control of myself .
Mindy looks up from sitting on the bed, picking at her nails. I see something flash in her eyes and she says, “You look . . . refreshed .”
I grin. “Thanks. Listen, about last night — ”
“You don’t have to say anything,” she says, giving me a slightly regretful half smile. “What we’ve both been doing is wrong. But we made it through one night. We only have six more to go. Let’s just drop anything that came before and get through this without killing each other .”
You mean fucking each other , I say in my head .
“Agreed,” I reply instead, though I know it’s all a lie. There’s too much tension between us. There’s only one way for this to end up, and that’s her playing cowgirl on my cock .
Still, I smile and offer her my arm. “Ready ?”
She looks at my arm for a moment before she takes it, rising to her feet. We leave, and part of me feels good with Mindy on my arm. Maybe we’re pretending, but I could get used to pretend .
We go downstairs, but before we enter the dining room, Mindy plasters a heavenly smile on her face .
“Good morning,” Mary Jo chirps as we walk in. “Thanks for making it on time .”
I look around and quickly notice that not everyone is here. Aunt Rita and Ivy Jo are here, along with John, but Charles, Layla, and Roxy are missing .
“Good morning, ladies . . . and John,” I say with charm. “Lovely morning, isn’t it ?”
“Did you guys sleep well?” Mary Jo asks .
“Absolutely wonderful, didn’t we, babe?” I ask Mindy. “I slept like a baby,” I add .
Mindy nods. “Mmmhmm. That bed was really comfortable and the room was gorgeous. I loved the view from the balcony. I felt like I was sleeping at the Ritz Carlton .”
“I hope some baby-making action was going on,” Ivy Jo mutters. “Less viewing. More screwing .”
I chuckle as everyone seems to ignore her. I guess she’s earned the right to say whatever the hell she wants at her age .
John sets down his spoon, standing up from his plate of grits and eggs to give Mindy a hug. “I’m glad you both enjoyed your room. You know we just had it redone? My father had turned it into my playroom when I was a child. I just couldn’t see doing that anymore, so I had it restored and upgraded .”
“It’s lovely,” Mindy says, looking around. “Hey, where’s Roxy ?”
Her mom scowls, and I have to laugh. Mothers everywhere are the same. “Late to breakfast, as usual. I swear, that child . . .”
“And Uncle Charles?” Mindy asks, hoping to stop a rant before it begins .
Rita shakes her head. “Honey, you’ll be lucky if he’s up by two. He usually skips breakfast. It’s those damn cigs. He has no appetite .”
“Good morning, lovelies,” a cheery, singsong voice says. Roxy walks in looking bright faced, a disgruntled Layla behind her. “How are my favorite people ?”
Roxy goes around kissing everyone before sitting, totally ignoring the daggers her mother is staring at her. Meanwhile, Layla sort of slumps into a chair, still looking like she’d prefer to be anywhere but here .
“Would’ve been better if you were here on time,” Mary Jo finally says, stabbing at her eggs like she’s ready to murder the chickens they came from .
Roxy looks over at us, giving us a saucy grin. “So how did you two sleep ?”
“Everyone seems to be asking that,” I say, reaching over and hanging an arm around Mindy. “We slept great .”
“Like a baby,” Mindy agrees, letting my hand stay for a bit .
Roxy looks disappointed. “I didn’t hear screams and whips at all. Major letdown, you two. Get with the program .”
“We’re not here for entertainment,” Mindy grumbles, rolling her eyes and taking my hand off her shoulder .
Silence falls over everyone for a few minutes as breakfast is eaten, and I must admit that whoever Mary Jo has cooking for everyone has skills. Roast duck is easy. Good grits are hard .
As Roxy scrapes the last of her insisted on granola out of her bowl and crunches down, Mary Jo rises to her feet and claps her hands together. “Enough dilly-dallying. There’s so much to do and not enough time to get it done. We’ve got to get flower girl gowns, and there are decorations and dealing with the caterer . . .”
Roxy sticks her hand up, sort of, interrupting her mother. “Mom, I think it would be better for everyone if we worked in groups. Keep you sane .”
Mary Jo brightens. “That’s actually a great idea, Roxy .”
; Roxy sticks her tongue out at Mindy. “You’re not always the pet !”
“Girl, please,” Mindy says, waving her away. “I’ll go with you, Roxy. Keep you out of trouble .”
“And I’ll go with them,” Ivy Jo adds. “Keep these old bones youthful .”
Mary Jo looks like she’s about to protest but relents with a nod. “Well then, can you three deal with the dresses? Rita and Layla, come with me to get the decorations .”
“And Oliver can come with me for a ride through town,” John says. “I want to show him a few things and get his opinion on some others .”
Mary Jo claps her hands together, pleased. “Okay. That sounds great. Be back here by one for lunch .”
As everyone is getting up from their chairs, I pull Mindy in close. “Bye, Princess,” I tell her, giving her a kiss on the lips. This time, she isn’t as shocked, and I’m surprised when she kisses me back quickly .
“Goodbye, handsome,” she tells me, giving me a cute little smile that stops me in my tracks for a moment. I think I’m having just a little too much fun with this roleplay. “See you in a bit .”
I get up, and John and I make it outside and jump into his classic Mustang convertible, cherry red, of course, and we head into town. The engine purrs as we cruise, and I have to admit, it’s a great car .
“That Mindy is quite a handful,” John says as he drives, the top down and just the engine providing background noise. “Just a more grown-up version of her younger sister. But what I love about them most is that mischievous sparkle in their eyes. They’re always ready to hit you with a joke that will have a grown man giggling .”
I chuckle. “I can't argue with that. You’d be surprised how often she knocks me on my heels .”
“Do you love her?” John asks me directly as we pull up to a stop sign. “No offense, but I’m about to be her stepfather. I’d like to know she’s going to marry a man who will love her, not just be a good match .”
I hesitate. Love is such a strong word. I know I’m supposed to be pretending to be in love, but to actually answer a direct question, I feel uneasy. But I can’t help but answer with what he wants .
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