One Last Vice Read online

  She frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  He sighed and forgetting all about his dinner, stepped down from his stool. “Let’s go. I have something to show you.”

  “What? Where? What about your—”

  “Come on!”

  She followed him upstairs and wasn’t that surprised to see him enter his bedroom. “J, I don’t think we—”

  Lips claimed hers as soon as she stepped into the room. He’d obviously been waiting for her and she couldn’t help but wrap her arms around his neck, holding on as he kissed her breath away.

  He was nice, she thought when he stepped back after a long while and pulled her further inside the room. He closed the door behind her and darkness engulfed them. God, he was so nice. She hadn’t even had to ask!

  Feeling gleeful all of a sudden, she followed his instructions readily and lied down on his bed. Too caught up in imagining what would happen next, she didn’t notice what he was doing until it was too late. “James!”

  “Yeah?” His voice had turned husky and no wonder. He’d tied her up! To the bed!

  “Untie me this instant!”

  “Nope. I need to prove my point first.” He kissed her lips and draped a blindfold over her eyes.

  “Why?”

  “Why what?” He made sure the blindfold was in place, feeling her face with his fingers. Soft fingers that then drifted down her body until they were circling her breast.

  “Why the blindfold?” she suddenly asked, aware he was unbuttoning her shirt.

  He never replied, instead kissing her until she was jerking against the cuffs in an effort to touch him. She needed to touch him. She was here for a reason and she had to give him pleasure. She had to…

  Apparently she’d been babbling out loud because he paused in his caresses to say, “Let it go, baby. It’s my turn and I intend to enjoy it.”

  That shut her up. Well, only for a moment or so. She felt him move away and she heard his clothes swish as he dropped them to the floor. Then a click rang in the distance and she winced. What was that?

  “Hey.”

  Uh? “Hey yourself. Where are you?”

  “Right here,” he said in her right ear, nipping the lobe.

  “Oh.” She wriggled.

  “Do that again,” he breathed out as his hands appeared on her chest, deftly opening the front clasp of her bra. “Oh yes.” He cupped her breasts with both hands, relishing their weight. Then he bent down and licked her left nipple until it stood proudly.

  Chloe groaned, too caught up in the unfamiliar sensations to notice James’s obvious satisfaction.

  He drew her pants down her legs and stared down at her, laid out on his bed in all her glory. His fingers twitched at the thought of taking off her underwear and seeing her naked for the first time. So he did. And then he had to take a deep breath and calm himself.

  This was his Chloe.

  Chapter Eight: So Fucking Nice

  “James?” Chloe was wondering what was happening. He’d been taking her clothes off and now he wasn’t doing anything. What the hell was happening? “J?”

  “I’m here, baby. Just—” He stopped himself short. He couldn’t tell her he’d been admiring her body. She couldn’t know he could see her. He had to make her understand he liked her body, that he thought she was beautiful beneath those ugly clothes she always wore. He knew she wore them to hide herself from the world but he’d always known she would be amazing. And she was. Oh she was.

  He knew he probably wasn’t very rational but he didn’t care. He was in love after all.

  Intent on making her see the light, he bent down and took her lips in a deep kiss. His tongue slipped in her mouth and tangled around hers, his hand automatically coming up to rest on her breast. God, he loved her tits. He wanted to play with them all night long. Then he’d go down on her and make her come so many times she’d be putty in his hands. He’d take off the blindfold and she’d be so amazed she’d fall on him and ride him to oblivion.

  He broke the kiss and told his mind to shut up. He had to stop fantasizing. This was it. The moment he’d been waiting for. He didn’t have to dream anymore. She was here, willing or nearly enough, and naked for him to enjoy.

  With a wide grin, he opened her legs and knelt between them, bracing himself on his hands. His mouth travelled down her neck to her collarbone, nipping there until she was shifting beneath him.

  That’s when he decided he couldn’t wait any longer: he had to taste her breasts again. He touched the tip of his tongue to her left nipple and she gasped. He wasn’t surprised she was so responsive. She’d denied herself for so long, he was sure she was going to explode soon.

  Oh god, he probably shouldn’t have thought about that. His cock hardened to the point of pain and he grimaced.

  “James?”

  “Yeah, baby, I’m here.”

  “But—” She stopped, suddenly unsure. Did she really want to know why he kept on pausing? Maybe it was because he wasn’t certain he wanted this. Maybe he didn’t like how her skin felt or how she kissed. Yeah, that had to be it.

  “I’m sorry, baby, but I’m so aroused I need to…to take a break every once in a while.”

  She frowned behind the blindfold. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, I want to make this good for you. If I listened to my dick, I’d already be deep inside you.”

  “Then do it! Take me, James, if that’s what you need.”

  He was already shaking his head before she even finished talking. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t see him. He knew her and why she was saying this. She was still trying to do her job, to please him with everything she owned. “No, C. This time, we’re doing it my way. I’m going to make this good for you.”

  “No! It should be for you. After all—” Before she could continue, he’d bent down and clamped his teeth around her nipple. He bit it, gently enough not to hurt her but hard enough that she gasped once again. Her back arched, her arms aching with the sudden strain against the handcuffs. “James!”

  He chuckled as he repeated the caress on her other breast. “Yes? You were saying?”

  His hands clasped her hips as he slid down. He stared at her parted legs and at the treasure waiting for him there. He could nearly feel the taste of her on his lips. So close, so close…

  She’d been saying something? Oh. Now what the hell had she been talking about? Chloe felt her grasp on reality glide away as fingers parted her. Soft fingers that were currently doing a very detailed tour of her anatomy. He flicked her clit and she forgot about everything else. She hadn’t felt this good in years. If ever.

  She couldn’t believe he was doing this.

  It should be him being pleasured. It should be him being caressed so thoroughly. Instead, she was lying here, handcuffed to his bed and a scarf blinding her. Her hips thrust up and her mouth opened on another moan.

  She didn’t know how long this had been going on but she was slowly going crazy. His tongue traced her folds, dipping for a quick lick inside her then retreating.

  “J!”

  He chuckled, too focused on his task to look back up to her face. “Enjoy it, baby.”

  “I am!” She struggled against the restraints. She wanted to touch him, damn it!

  Apparently, she’d said that last one out loud as he replied, “Not this time, C. We’ve been over this already.”

  “But I want to!”

  “That’s nice but it’s my turn, remember? My turn to drive you crazy,” he added, his voice low as he bent down once again and sucked on her clit. His hands grabbed her hips as her body shot up at the caress. He didn’t stop, torturing her with pleasure until she was begging him. Moan after moan poured out of her mouth but each time she neared completion, he stopped.

  “James, please!” The utter abandon in her voice reached through him and he gave in. One long finger entered her just as his teeth clamped around her nub. She screamed once again but this time, he didn’t move away. This time, he kept o
n caressing her. His finger started a slow rhythm, his tongue teasing her relentlessly.

  “Ahh!” Her voice broke on a final shout.

  He only moved back when her tremors subsided and her walls stopped squeezing his finger. Looking up, he stared at her beloved body. The one he’d been coveting for so long. Her legs were stretched out, her limbs shaking every once in a while as pleasure still swept through her.

  “Chloe,” he murmured, brushing his palm over her stomach in a tender gesture.

  Her back arched and she said something unintelligible.

  Pleased with himself, James moved off the bed and quickly put on a condom. This was going to be good, he could feel it. Climbing back on the bed, he settled over her and said, “Baby?”

  She stirred, willing her eyes to open. Except that didn’t change anything, considering she was still blindfolded. “J? Could you take this thing off? I can’t see anything.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay.” He took a deep breath and plunged inside her.

  She gasped at the sudden invasion but he didn’t give her a chance to recover. Before he could chicken out, he grabbed the scarf and tugged it up. Then watched as she blinked and opened her eyes.

  And saw the room was awash with light. “But…”

  “I’m sorry, Chloe, but I wanted you to see how good it could be between us. I enjoy your body. No, I love it. Can’t you feel it?” He pulled back then surged back in, taking both their breaths away for a second or two. When he could speak again, he added, “The lights have been on all this time, baby. I’ve caressed your body, I’ve made you come and I’ve been hard the whole time.”

  “James.” She felt her eyes fill with tears.

  “Do you know what that means?” He waited for her to shake her head. “It means I want you. I’ve always wanted you. And now…” He pumped inside her one more time, grunting at the strain of stopping himself. “Now I get to enjoy you. Fully.” And with that last part said, he let go of his control.

  He hadn’t unlocked the cuffs so she couldn’t hold on to him. He’d probably thought she’d try to run away if she was free. And she might have. But after that speech, she just didn’t know what to think. She could barely understand what’d happened.

  Because James, the man she’d been dreaming about, fantasizing about for so long, was making love to her. Eyes wide open, he held her gaze as he thrust inside her. Over and over again. He pushed until she was panting, until they were both panting. Sweat dripped from his forehead but he never stopped. He pumped inside her, hitting a spot that brought shocks to her system.

  She groaned, clamping tight around him.

  He growled in reaction, speeding up until the bed was shaking on its feet. “Come for me, Chloe.”

  “James…”

  He stared straight into her eyes as he pushed inside her one last time. “I love you.”

  She opened her mouth to reply but instead a scream escaped. They shuddered as they both shattered, gazes locked until he fell on top of her.

  Chapter Nine: What The Hell

  It took her a few minutes to get her breath back. It took James a lot longer and he realized smoking really was affecting him more than he’d thought. He’d been right to stop, he knew that. All that was left now was to get the cravings to stop and he’d be home free. And Chloe was here and she was amazing and she was his and…she was leaving. He sat up and shouted, “Chloe!”

  She was already out of the room, her bare ass the last thing he saw before she slammed the door shut behind her.

  “What the hell?” He slid off the bed and winced when his legs shook. Shit, that had been one hell of a climax! Grabbing his boxers, he quickly put them on and went in search of her.

  * * * *

  Chloe was shaking as she lugged her suitcase onto the bed and opened it with a loud snap. She needed to get dressed, pronto! She needed to leave. She needed…Come on, where the hell were her panties? Ah! She found a white pair and pulled it on. A bra, done. Okay, okay, now where was her spare pair of jeans? Couldn’t she get a break here?

  She couldn’t believe he had said that! Did he really think she was that stupid? Jumping around, she inwardly cursed him and never noticed him standing in the threshold.

  “C?” Hands closed around her hips, stopping her short.

  “Ah!” She jumped up high in the air but he didn’t let go.

  Instead, he slowly turned her around. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you. Why did you leave?”

  “I…I…” Fuck! How was she supposed to explain?

  “I thought you enjoyed what we did.”

  She licked her lips. “I did.”

  “Oh, that’s great. So what’s the problem?”

  “You…you…” That orgasm had robbed her of any intelligent thoughts, it appeared. “You said you loved me!”

  He blinked. “Well, yeah.”

  “Why did you say that, J? I know you were coming and you were probably out of it but you still shouldn’t have said it!”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it’s not true, damn it!” She whirled around and stalked back to her suitcase. Where were her pants? She was so out of here.

  James watched as she cursed him out, her voice low but the words still clear enough. She apparently hadn’t realized she was only wearing her underwear. And he might have come only minutes before but his body was still reacting to the display of flesh. God, he wanted her again. “Chloe.”

  She tensed at his low voice. “What is it?” she asked, not bothering to turn around.

  “I wasn’t lying.”

  Her hands let go of the jeans she’d finally found at the bottom of her suitcase. She turned to face him, already shaking her head. “This isn’t funny, J.”

  “I’m not trying to be funny. Didn’t you feel it when we were making love?”

  “We didn’t make love! We had sex!”

  “Now who’s lying?” She felt frozen by the look in his eyes. He walked up to her and cupped her cheek with his right hand. “I do love you, baby.”

  “No, you don’t,” she automatically replied.

  “I do. I’ve been in love with you forever but you kept acting as if I was nothing more than your employer! I flirted with you, I did everything I could think of but nothing worked!” Her eyebrows rising, she stared back at him in silence. “Can’t you see?”

  “No.” The word flitted from her lips but it rang loudly between them.

  James jerked back. “What do you mean, no?”

  “I think the sex’s gone to your head. I…I agree it was very good and thanks for taking care of my needs and all but you should really find another way to cure your cravings. I don’t think this is working.”

  “Chloe, damn it! I invented this story so I could get you where I wanted you!”

  “What?”

  “Do you really think I needed to be sucked in the middle of a parking lot?”

  “Uh, yes?”

  “No! I wanted to have you in my arms! But no, you had to agree to my little scheme and now here we are, and of course you don’t believe me. Why would you?” James whirled around and stalked out of the room.

  Chloe watched him go, suddenly feeling bereft. What had happened just now? He’d looked so cold and so…sad.

  She had to go to him. She had to take care of him; that was her job after all. Her hands letting go of her jeans, she hurried after him, only aware he needed her. Never realizing she’d been the one to hurt him…

  “James! James! Where are you?” Chloe ran across the hall and checked his bedroom but it was empty. With a curse, she hurried to the staircase and called out, “James!”

  “I’m right here.”

  She gasped and whirled around to find him standing in front of his studio. “Thank God!”

  James tensed as she joined him. She hadn’t bothered getting dressed before going to look for him and the half-naked look was doing things to his insides. Things he didn’t want to r
epeat, however, if she didn’t see the light first. She really thought he’d been lying. Weren’t women supposed to swoon when you said you loved them? Instead, his Chloe had slapped it back in his face. Damn it! “What do you want?” he finally growled as she stopped right in front of him.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, her hands clenched tight together.

  “For what? For mocking my words? For believing I’d lie about something like this?”

  “James—” Her right hand came to rest on his forearm but he waved it off.

  “Don’t James me! I thought you knew me better than that, Chloe!”

  “I did. I do. It’s just…you surprised me.”

  “Fuck. How can you be so blind? I’ve been trying to seduce you for months!”

  She blinked. “Months?”

  “Yes!” He racked his fingers through his short hair. “I don’t know why I bother.”

  “That’s not nice,” she snapped back, hurt by his comment.

  “Not nice? Are you kidding me? I’ve just told you I loved you and you thought the sex had gone to my head! How do you think I feel?” His voice rose, resonating in the hallway.

  “I said I was sorry!”

  “That’s not good enough, C. Either you love me or you don’t, I get that, but you can’t just act as if I haven’t tried to make it right by you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “God, I need a drink,” he muttered under his breath. She shot him a glare and he quickly added, “Everyone’s noticed I’ve been flirting with you, babe. Except you. Everyone knows about this but no, you’re my PA and that’s good enough for you, right?” She opened her mouth to reply but he wasn’t finished. “That’s fine. I can live with it. You don’t have to love me back. But at least, I tried. Right?”

  “James!”

  “It’s okay, Chloe, but I need some time alone now if you wouldn’t mind.” He stepped into his studio and closed the door behind him. Not once giving her time or the opportunity to respond.