King of Players: An Opposites Attract Romance (Billionaire Kings of New York Book 3)

7. Another Dimension

seven

Kaira

“ I am not so na?ve as to believe that there’s a corner big enough to contain you.”

Did I expect a film line? Definitely. Was that one? Who the hell knew? I wasn’t in the habit of entertaining the sort of films in which Chad Niles had starred, nor had I expected any of the conversation he had sprung on me this evening.

Savoring a mouthful of wine, I watched him with the eyes that didn’t expect him to be so eloquent without a pre-written script. His gaze met mine and lingered, stoking the spark inside of me that was soon turning into a small but powerful flame.

When I smiled, I wanted to let him know that I appreciated whatever it was that he was trying to do. A man like him had options—many choices, in fact, that he didn’t need to negotiate anything with any woman. His money opened all doors. His popularity granted him instant business. His looks rendered him irresistible.

So, what was he doing here with me? Was I just an exciting conquest, the fulfillment of which promised to add a new star to his ego roll?

But what about me?

Why was I experiencing this strange, burning sensation in parts of my body, while others refused to sit still? My hand reached for the back of my neck, brushing a stray lock of hair upward. My thighs pressed inward, fighting against each other to keep from rebounding. I felt my heart in my throat, and as if that wasn’t desperate enough, I prayed to the gods of darkness to conceal the blush in my cheeks.

I wanted him?

Really?

Of all the men revolving in my universe, did Chadwick Niles have to be the one to have that effect on me?

It hardly seemed fair.

In disbelief, I watched him undo the first three buttons of his shirt, parting the edges as if to reveal his chest hairs to me. He was beginning to act like one of those models during a shoot; moving slowly for the camera to capture whatever pose it liked. It could have all been in my head, since he finally shifted in his seat, took a sip of wine and said, “You’re not still trying to figure me out, are you?”

“To be honest…” I said slowly, as if in a dream. “I’m trying to figure out something about myself right now.”

He slowly stood up, gesturing toward the door. “Do—Do you want me to leave?”

I closed my eyes and shook my head. “Do whatever you want.”

“That’s not very hospitable of you,” I heard him say. Opening my eyes, I realized that he was back to where he stood just moments ago. Except this time, he wasn’t reaching for the bottle. His hand grabbed the glass in mine, softly pulling it away. “No, no,” he whispered. “Close your eyes.”

Could I hate myself for doing as he asked, yet enjoy losing control at the same time? His breath on my lips felt hot and suffocating. I wanted to withdraw; to shout at him for acting so inappropriately. But then I felt his lips on mine and forgot what I was angry about. His mouth tasted of something that had nothing to do with the wine. It was somehow sweeter, which got me thinking about the power of suggestion.

But what suggestion, when my mind had switched itself off completely? And what power when all I could do was slide my hands under his arms, placing my palms on the sides of his back, and pulling him closer. I didn’t exert any effort, since the slightest tug of my hands was enough invitation for the enthusiastic Chad.

Climbing onto the cushion, he pushed me backward, and I happily scooted, without breaking our kiss. It wasn’t long before I was flat on my back, welcoming his weight atop me.

While our mouths engaged in what must have been the longest kiss I’d ever had, I felt his hands in my hair. My mind sent out a desperate question, ‘Did I consent to this?’ and the answer was an unyielding ‘Yes’.

In that moment, I thought he had read my thoughts, because he lifted up his head and looked at my face. A moment later, he smiled and said, “Exactly how many bobby pins are in there?”

That was when I realized that his fingers had been working to undo my hair. “Enough to make you work for it, I guess,” I whispered.

Bringing a bobby pin between us, he placed the tip of it on my lower lip and pressed downward, using it to pull down and give way to my mouth. He then put away his hand and with it, the pin disappeared. As he lowered his mouth onto mine once again, I felt his fingers raking their way back into my hair, reaching my scalp this time. Massaging, pressing, and kneading, until I closed my eyes.

I didn’t know how someone like Chad got me this relaxed, or if I was already overdue for a moment of vulnerability when he came into my home. My tangled thoughts tried to work their way through the chaos in my mind, stroking hard against the overpowering waves of pleasure as everything his hands did was magic.

With the last remaining shreds of reason, I tried to think back to the last time I had orgasmed. Not only did I fail miserably, but the thought left me prey to self-doubt, questioning whether I should have been doing this at all.

It didn’t help that Chad’s lips were now crawling down between my breasts. When had he pulled down the dress over my shoulders, and when had he undone my bra?

Reluctantly, I placed my hand over his head, feeling it glide smoothly over the stubble of his soft hair. I sensed the sucking motions of his lips against my skin and moaned, pushing up my torso as if in an attempt to push him away.

“You like that, don’t you?” he murmured into my stomach before sliding south.

I panicked, and with both hands, grabbed his cheeks, forcing him to look up at me. “Don’t,” was the word I mustered.

“Don’t…” His hand snaked downward, settling between my thighs. “You sure?”

I moaned as he pressed, “Chad. Stop it.”

“We need to find a better safe-word than ‘stop it’, because Kaira…” his voice grew hoarser before I felt his lips on the inner side of my thigh, hissing, “You’re still giving me mixed signals.”

A sharp ‘Oh’ escaped my lips when he sucked hard on the sensitive flesh, sending shivers up my spine, rendering my back arched and my head tossed back against the mattress. “Chadwick!”

“Yes?” Hot breath against me mixed with the wetness that he had caused. I felt his lips, his tongue, and everything he so expertly did with them.

My body grew weaker, and my muscles started to shake. How could I get my hands to follow orders that my very core refused to acknowledge? How was I to push him away when every cell in my being craved so badly what he was bringing? The crescendo building up in the lower half of me sent pleasurable sensations upward, prompting my tongue to utter things I had never imagined myself saying. Things like, “Oh my God, yeah… don’t stop,” and “Jesus fucking Christ, Chad! Yes!”

‘Yes?’

Really?

Wasn’t that the lowest form of pornographic audio known to man? Couldn’t I have been a little bit more sophisticated at voicing pleasure? When was the last time I said things like that to a man?

Well, when was the last time sex with a man didn’t feel like a grounding chore?

Because sure enough, right now I was nowhere near the ground. The world felt like it was a million miles away, while my head floated in a thickening cloud of nirvana. The sounds around us were drowned out by my moans of ecstasy, as Chad made sure every stroke and touch did something wonderful to my body. The very air I breathed smelled like him—his cologne, his sweat.

And when I was painfully ready to make the jump; to lose myself in a moment of release, Chad knew exactly what to do. Although him stopping felt like an eternal gesture aimed to tease, the sight of him rising over me and sliding down his boxer shorts promised an epic conclusion.

My mind raced and for a second, I feared that I was about to be overwhelmed by logic again. Was there no condom? Was I truly ready for a man I barely knew to come inside me? Did I need to talk to a therapist?

He must have seen all of this and more, because as he eased himself into me, his eyes locked on mine and lingered, emanating what could only be—if I dared believe it—a loving gaze. A deeply affectionate look that carried the warmest of emotions. Something painfully human radiated from his eyes into mine, calming my nerves and allowing me to relax, if only for a moment.

Because after that…

After that, the world quaked.

With a loud, throaty cry, I squeezed my eyelids shut and surrendered to Chad’s full control over me. He was inside of me, over me and all around me. His hands, his legs, his smell. Somehow, it felt as though I was the one inside of him.

He didn’t say my name, not once during this battle of desire and relief. In fact, he didn’t talk at all. Everything he wanted to say, he could deliver with his hands, his fingers, and his lips. Every charmed drop of meaning couldn’t have been any better if he had tried to put it into words.

My entire understanding of my own pleasure and the heights my body could reach were shattered within a minute; a minute where the loudest scream felt too little. All the pathways in my head somehow got rewired as I—a grown woman in my late twenties—discovered that I knew nothing of lovemaking; if I dared to label my previous encounters as such.

Divinity must have originated in a moment like this.

And then the dust settled.

My lungs could once again catch a breath.

The haze before my eyes began to clear, and I could see his beautiful figure towering over me, glistening with sweat and gasping for air. I didn’t know how my face responded to everything I had just experienced, but it couldn’t have been good, because when he looked down, he seemed concerned.

“Di—Did I hurt you?” he whispered, his hand reaching for my cheek.

“No,” I thought I said, but did the words actually leave my mouth? Pushing myself up on one elbow, my other hand reached down to quickly pull up my panties as I attempted to sit up.

“What? Kaira, what?” He gently grabbed me by the shoulders, his eyes searching my face. “Kaira, what did I do? Tell me.”

Without much thought, I felt my right hand dip itself between my thighs and stay there. As if unconsciously, I squeezed my legs together and looked away. “Nothing,” I whispered, and it came out hoarse, so I repeated, “Nothing. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” Tilting his entire upper half, his fingers tenderly grasped my chin as he tugged, trying to get me to look him in the eyes. “Kaira, you know you can tell me.”

Tell him what?

I didn’t even know what was happening or how to decipher the feelings raging inside of me. Had every past connection of mine been a lie? Had I truly been so unsatisfied, so unfulfilled? Were all the men in my life aware of this, or did they—like me—simply not know any better?

“I think you should go now,” I finally said.

As his foot touched the ground, he pulled up his pants, not taking his eyes off of me as he zipped them up. “I can stay. We can talk.”

“I don’t want to talk,” I sternly insisted. “I’ll call you.”

I knew a man with his pride wouldn’t continue with this, or it would so easily and seamlessly cross over to humiliation.

And so… he left.