“That’s kind of… well, it’s kind of awesome!” she smiles, her cheeks dimpling sweetly. I lean forward and press my lips against the top of her forehead, inhaling the scent of her caramel-colored hair. It feels good, the way that she approves of me so completely. I guess I still care what she thinks .
“Come on, let me show you around,” I whisper into her hair, tugging her by the hand .
The house is impressive, I have to admit. I can’t take much credit for it since it was built eighty years ago or so, other than I had the foresight to buy it before somebody tore it down to put a hotel up here or something .
California has always had secret mansions in secluded places, so they’re not that hard to find on real estate websites. It’s always been fashionable for famous people to complain about being famous and wanting to get away, I suppose .
Once you’re at ground level here, there is a very nice kind of protected castle feeling. It seems like at some point, every actor and studio executive and musician thought it would be a cool idea to build themselves a castle and moat, somewhere out here in fairytale land .
I take her through room after room of terrazzo floors and plaster arches, fluted columns and hidden cupboards behind mahogany panels. She’s appropriately delighted, clapping her fingertips under her sweet, round chin .
In the grand, oval-shaped living room, I lead her toward the semicircular row of windows that seem to almost hang in space, facing the Pacific .
“Oh, the black sand beaches,” she sighs. “Haven’t seen them since I was little .”
“You remember?” I ask her .
She turns to me slightly, her eyelashes fluttering, her expression vague. “Remember?” she repeats .
“We were here once. Our families. Well, not exactly here, but somewhere along the stretch of this beach. We rented adjoining cabins and just hung out for a weekend. Ring any bells ?”
I search her eyes, watching her struggle. She couldn’t have been more than seven or eight, but even then, she always got my attention. While I hung out with Aden, she left and cartwheeled along the surf like a fairy princess. She never even needed anybody to play with. She was always just full of joy, seemingly entertained by the very act of breathing .
“I think I remember the beach,” she says quietly, staring at it. “But nothing else. Nobody else. I almost felt like I was alone. That’s so weird !”
“I guess you were always kind of in your own little world .”
She wrinkles her nose shyly. “Yeah, that’s what everybody says. I was always kind of a daydreamer. Bea says I’m uptight .”
“Are you hungry, daydreamer?” I ask her, unsure what else to say. Somehow, she’s just a little too charming. Maybe I just know her too well. Sometimes looking at her is confusing. I need to remember to keep things light .
“Starving,” she confesses .
“Perfect,” I smirk. Behind us is the chef’s kitchen which I strategically left for last anyway. I figured we would end up here in this room. She gazes admiringly at the Viking range, the Sub-Zero freezer. She knows it’s the good stuff, so I don’t have to explain it to her as part of the house tour .
Delicately, she perches on a leather stool at the end of the counter, folding her fingers underneath her chin. I pull a couple of fat, juicy tomatoes from the bowl and hold them up .
“You’re not allergic to anything, are you ?”
She opens her eyes wide. “Wait a second, you’re going to cook ?”
“Well, not these if you’re allergic to them. That’s why I’m asking .”
“No, I’m not allergic… but, what I mean is, are you actually planning on cooking those? Yourself? You don’t have a personal chef or something ?”
“Of course I have a personal chef,” I sigh. I pull a knife from the block and start dicing the tomato, followed by a zucchini and Japanese eggplant. “But I like to cook. It’s nice. Are you impressed? You should totally be impressed .”
“Oh, I really am!” she coos. “I’m just a little surprised. But the impressed kind of surprised, I promise !”
“Good,” I sniff. “I didn’t want to waste my dazzling culinary skills on you if you would rather get a frozen pizza in the oven or something .”
She shrugs. “Yeah well, frozen pizza has its good sides too, you know .”
“That’s true,” I admit, setting two pots of water on the big burners. They’ll be boiling shortly and I season them generously with handfuls of sea salt. “I think one of my startups is in the pizza business, as a matter of fact. They’ve got some kind of flash freezing technology that improves storage and flavor. They make a pretty good pizza .”
“I’d like to try that too !”
I take the plastic bag of mussels from the fridge and set them on the counter. Smashing the head of garlic in my hand, I season the water with bay and garlic to steam the mussels and then retrieve some fresh pasta from the fridge. Normally, I would make my own pasta from scratch, but she doesn’t need to know that. I’ll save a few tricks for later .
In just minutes, I ladle a ruby-red sauce with tomatoes over the pasta, then top it with the mussels and torn shreds of basil. The fragrant bowls drift steam between our faces. Opening a bottle of local Chardonnay, I sit next to her, ready to hear her sweet voice again .
She breathes deeply, closing her eyes and flaring her nostrils as the scents of herbs and garlic dance through her sinuses .
“This is amazing,” she sighs. “Really amazing! It’s so sweet of you to do this for me .”
“My pleasure,” I smile. The first bite is perfectly al dente, the farm-fresh vegetables still crisp and earthy. Not a bad effort, if I do say so myself .
“So, the pizza guys? Is that where I’ll be working?” she asks carefully, keeping her eyes down .
It takes me second to remember what she’s talking about. “Oh, right. Your, um, internship. Well, I guess I’ll let you pick? Or I’ll give you a tour? Figure out where you fit best ?”
She glances up at me, her eyes suddenly innocent again. I love how she goes back and forth from determined fighter to uneasy ingenue over and over again .
“So that’s a real thing? You meant it? About the job ?”
“Of course I meant it. You can see it all around me… I rely on people I can trust. Are you someone I can trust ?”
“Because I sort of thought that maybe you just brought me here so we could have sex,” she says matter-of-factly, daring me with her eyes .
I pause for a beat, measuring her expression. She’s a little defiant, but a little frightened too .
“I mean, I think I could be a good fit,” she mutters stubbornly, pushing her jaw forward. “In anything. Any kind of job, I mean .”
I reach out and take her hand, forcing her to drop her fork, nudging her until she faces me .
“I asked you if you trusted me, do you remember?” I ask her in a low voice .
She nods uncertainly .
“I didn’t just abduct you to have my way with you, if that’s what you’re thinking,” I smirk. I can’t help it. Any other girl, she would be right. But somehow, I mean it. Having my way with her is something definitely on my list, but it’s a very long list with a lot more stuff on it .
“You don’t have to say these things to me,” she insists. “I’m not a little girl anymore. We’re both adults. Whatever happens, happens .”
I lean in, kissing her gently, stroking my thumb along the line of her downy jaw. She tastes like wine and garlic, punctuated by the savory tang of the mussels .
“Drink your wine, baby,” I tell her, finally forcing myself to let her go. There’s time for more, I tell myself .
We resume eating slowly, savoring each bite as the sun goes down. After the plates are cleared away, I take her hand again .
“Time for the rest of the tour .”
Slowly I lead her upstairs to the master suite, the one with windows on all sides, looking out from the redwoods to the bright blue sea and quickly darkenin
g sky. It’s a magnificent view, but not as magnificent as what I see when I begin undressing her. The rose petal-pink tie of her dress slips away under my fingers, the fabric falling open to reveal her lush, ripe curves. She catches her breath, drawing her lower lip between her teeth and staring at me intently. I undress her slowly, savoring every moment of seeing her in these beautiful last rays of sunlight .
It’s not late, but suddenly I’m so tired. We undress silently, falling across my enormous bed and gathering the luxurious blankets over us. Her body curls against mine, fitting me perfectly. I hold her tightly to me, satisfied just to embrace her, to feel her skin completely connected with mine .
Kissing her gently on her neck, I listen to the sound of her breathing deepen and decelerate, smiling as I realize that she’s falling effortlessly into sleep, here in my arms. So trusting, so pure .
Chapter 30
AVA
S lowly I slip out of the dream, feeling like I’m rocking in a warm, salty bath. I can almost taste the waves as they trip over my skin, teasing me, lulling me into total trust .
I hear myself sigh and wake to realize the dream is only half a dream. I’m in Ethan’s bed, in his huge, hidden mansion, with my legs spread and his face nestled against my sex .
Surprise is quickly overtaken by an intensely sweet, deep longing as I feel his tongue sliding up and down my seam, diving deeper with each pass. At the top of each stroke, I’m already wanting more, urging him to continue by rocking my hips .
He’s making some kind of magic on me, fluttering his mouth against me, driving me wild. I let myself go, and in a few seconds my consciousness shatters like the sparks of a huge fireworks display, exploding in waves as I come and come .
I roll my back, arching and stretching, trying not to groan too loudly. My whole body is buzzing, alight, vibrating with pleasure .
Ethan props himself up on one elbow and slowly rolls his tongue over his upper lip. His eyes glint with mischief .
“I can do that again,” he growls .
I clap my knees together. “Once is plenty!” I object, suddenly shy again. “I want to save some for later .”
“I want to save some of you for later too,” he murmurs, dragging me closer to him by my arm and kissing me deeply. I can taste the combination of my taste and his sweet breath mingling in a lusty, hormonal soup that thrills me to my toes. I’m hungry again, filled with a longing like I’ve never felt before .
All these new depths of emotion and sensation, who knew? It’s like I’ve been missing out on some kind of great universal mystery. If I’d known being with someone could be this great, I might have given it more of a shot .
“I’m hungry,” he announces. “Are you hungry ?”
“Famished,” I confess .
“Let’s fix that,” he says, rolling to the side of the big bed and standing up. The morning light silhouettes his perfect, sculpted frame beautifully. Since he’s not pacing this way, I lower myself to drink in the details of him: rippling muscles as he walks, the clenching, round shape of his buttocks, even those two cute little creases underneath .
It almost makes me giddy, thinking about it. What am I doing? Um, nothing, just hanging out with a billionaire who happens to be a perfect specimen of manhood .
You know. Like you do .
He takes a robe off the hook and wraps it around himself, and I’m a tiny bit disappointed to see his beautiful skin covered up .
“I’ll have Perry get us some breakfast. Well, lunch by now… can you meet me on the patio in fifteen minutes? You can use the shower if you like. It has rainfall and massage heads .”
He raises eyebrows at me briefly. Normally I wouldn’t even consider it, but …
“I’ll be down in fifteen,” I smile. Then, I add, “ Boss . ”
“Oh, I like the sound of that,” he smirks, sliding his cell phone off the desk and glancing at it before he leaves the room. I can tell that he’s distracted. I wonder how much work I’m keeping him from ?
It takes a few moments for me to figure out the shower. There are five different handles and a couple dozen nozzles situated at strategic angles around the marble-enclosed area. But then I notice there’s a keypad with descriptions. I pick forceful + steam and set the temperature to very warm . Seems like a good place to start .
And it’s completely perfect. In the back of my mind, I know he said fifteen minutes, but I wouldn’t mind staying here half the day. The combination of water jets and billows of steam envelops my entire body with sweetly scented fragrances. The handmade cakes of soap lather my skin in luxurious, velvety foam. It’s almost a tragedy to get clean. I’d rather just stay here and play with all the sensations and smells .
But a promise is a promise. I get out and towel dry my hair on one of those throw-rug-thick towels. Twisting it on top of my head, I decide to take at least a few seconds to throw on some mascara and arch my eyebrows with a pencil. Just because I just got out of the shower doesn’t mean I have to be completely naked the rest the day, right ?
In the closet next to the shower, I notice some of my clothes. Apparently someone unpacked my luggage for me, taking over this medium-size closet. My small selection of dresses seems pitifully inadequate in this large room, fitted with trays and drawers and rows and rows of hanging spaces with matching hangers. I pluck a flowing sundress off the hanger and flip it over my head. Someone was nice enough to put my underwear away too, and I figure a pair of dark pink panties will be just fine .
Giving myself a little twirl in the full-length mirror, I decide I look perfectly acceptable for the beach. The dress is gathered under my breasts and then swishes fully over my hips, feminine but comfortable, casual enough that I can just change shoes and fit in most situations. For some reason I feel like I need to be ready to hop in an airplane or jump on a yacht at a moment’s notice with Ethan .
Isn’t that amazing? Just thinking about it fills my belly with bubbles .
Thirteen and a half minutes. Not bad if I do say so myself. I grab my phone as I’m leaving the room, and it buzzes immediately in my hand. I flip it over. I’ve got four messages from Aden, just two from Bea. I look at hers as I’m descending the stairs. She wants to know if I’m okay. She wants me to check in. Normal stuff .
Four messages from Aden .
The preview on the last one says something like you hear me ?
I do not have time for this right now .
I see Perry at the kitchen counter out of the corner of my eye as I cut across the living room toward the patio. The whole room is filled with the scent of baked goods, bacon, and something tangy like a fruit salad .
“You look beautiful,” Ethan says appreciatively as I step out into the sunlight .
He flashes me that million-dollar smile again. Even as I blush under his approval, I also know he has said that to at least a thousand other girls. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t mean it, I know. It just means no matter how much fun I’m having, I have to remember this is Ethan Mercer we’re talking about here. I’m sure a man like him has had a lot of practice acting like Prince Charming .
But there’s no trouble in playing along, I figure .
“Thank you, Boss,” I smile, giving him a little pirouette. I notice the way his eyes immediately flit to the hem of my skirt, which lifts as I turn .
The table is set with two plates, silver flatware on linen, and crystal stemware with champagne bubbling to the top of the flutes. Coffee. Pancakes. Some kind of pastry, plus a giant pile of bacon and eggs .
Suddenly I’m famished. My mouth is watering, my knees are trembling. I sink gratefully into the chair, hoping that I can be maintain some semblance of ladylike manners before I just go bananas and stuff my face. To camouflage myself, I delicately pick up the champagne flute. He raises his at the same time, clinking the rim against mine .
“Here’s to more orgasms,” he announces without a hint of irony or shyness .
My heart catches in my throat. “Oh my!” I giggle, but sip
the champagne anyway .
“What? Does it bother you? It’s the truth .”
“Oh it’s definitely the truth,” I chuckle, “I just didn’t know we were going to… you know… keep talking about it .”
“Oh, we are going to do a whole lot more than just talk about it, Ava,” he says in a low voice, suddenly serious. I’m melting into a puddle. I meet his eyes, forcing myself not to look away. His lust is clearly displayed on his features, and again I feel that intimidation, that thrill of fear. I know my body wants him, but can I? Can I really take that last step ?
“Well, dig in,” he invites me, easing the pressure slightly. “I think Perry went a little overboard, but it sure looks appetizing, don’t you think ?”
“Oh, absolutely!” I agree, grateful that we’re going to start eating now. I pile up my plates, forgetting my ladylike aspirations and just going for it. I feel him smirking at me but I refuse to acknowledge it. He has seen me eat hundreds of times. He knows I like food. I’m not going to pretend to be the sort of girl who doesn’t .
My phone buzzes again, the double chirp that indicates another text message. I’m pretty sure I know who it’s from, but I don’t look .
“Do you need to get that?” he asks, jerking his chin toward my facedown phone .
“Not right now,” I say breezily, biting cleanly through a thick slab of perfectly cooked bacon. “Wow, this is delicious !”
“Artisanal and organic,” he nods. “There is a small farm not too far from here. I like to shop locally whenever I can. Helps to offset the greenhouse gases used during meat production .”
“Oh, I thought meatless was supposed to be better for the environment or something?” I stammer, staring at the bacon. I mean, it’s bacon. I’d rather not have too much guilt about the breakfast I’m enjoying .
“I’m not the sort of person to deprive myself,” he shrugs. “Everything comes at a price… meat production comes with a price… flying in a jet… but I’m willing to make compromises. This way, I get better quality product and lower carbon footprint. It’s a win-win .”
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