Chapter 3
APRIL
A bead of sweat trickles down my spine as I stand there, frozen with indecision about what to do about Jamie’s indecent proposal.
It’s not as if I have a moral objection to using my sexuality to attain something I feel will be beneficial.
Hell, I was prepared to go through with a marriage of convenience a couple of months ago because I could see the clear business benefit – not that I ever had a chance of making that happen, because my potential suitor turned out to be the only man capable of taming my wild sister, Maya, who’s now completely in love with him, and he her – but Jamie’s an altogether different proposition.
There’s history between us. Twisted, messy history with a potential for challenging emotions to resurface.
He’s the last man on earth I should be letting into my bed.
But I wouldn’t be the successful businesswoman I am today if I hadn’t been able to handle challenging situations.
Evidently Jamie needs to restore his manly pride after I took it to pieces then gave him no recourse to prove me wrong.
Which I can understand. He always did let his dick lead his actions.
But I can deal with all that.
As previously mentioned, sex to me is just a tool, a means to get what I want.
So having sex with Jamie again – because it’s not as if we haven’t done it before, and recently too – will be absolutely fine.
I can keep any lingering feelings – mostly of annoyance with him – at bay.
Just until he’s given me what I came here for.
At least, I think I can.
I’m going to have to if I’m going to be successful here.
Unfortunately, he was absolutely right about my father making it clear that if I wanted to keep hold of the CEO role – a role I’ve hankered after for years – I’d have to secure this sale to prove to him once and for all that I’ll be capable of making a success of running DH Worldwide on my own.
Up to this point we’ve not managed to produce our own product to the same standard as De Montfort Software’s and it’s currently hurting us at the acquisition stage.
It frustrates me to say it, but Cliff’s software is still by far the best on the market despite our best efforts to replicate it.
If one of our biggest rivals manages to secure this business it could be very bad for us.
One company in particular has been chasing our tail a little too closely for my liking recently and I don’t like the numbers I’ve been seeing.
So I’m going to give him what he wants. It’ll involve some highly skilled and possibly demeaning play-acting – but I’m okay with that. It’s a means to an end. Everyone makes sacrifices to get their golden ticket. Don’t they?
Yes. They do.
So I’m going to make this work.
No matter what it costs me to do it.
Anyway, as soon as the deal is signed, I’ll be able to walk away and never need to see or speak to Jamie again.
And he’ll be getting his closure and soothing his precious ego, so he’ll probably never want to see or speak to me again either.
It’s a win-win.
‘Wait, Jamie, don’t go,’ I say as he starts to walk past me towards the door to the hall.
He stops and turns back to face me, his eyebrows raised in question.
I try not to let myself be distracted by how spectacularly sexy he looks today.
He’s wearing casual trousers, which hang low on his hips, and a form-fitting light-blue shirt which is open at the neck and showing a tantalising amount of his toned chest. The chest I’ve had trouble not obsessing about since I last ran my nails down it.
I give myself a mental shake. I have to stop thinking about him that way. This needs to be a clinical thing, without any warm and fuzzy emotions attached.
So, yes, okay, practically speaking he’s a very attractive man.
And, yes, my body reacts instinctively to him whenever I’m anywhere near him.
But that doesn’t mean I should let that get in the way of what I’m here to do.
This will be a business transaction, nothing more.
A semi-pleasurable one, sure, but short-lived and to the point.
I can give him the type of performance his ego’s looking for then get the hell back to London and back to business.
I walk towards him, seeing his eyes flicker with interest as I smile and nod.
‘Okay. I’m happy with that deal.’ As soon as I’m close enough, I raise my right hand and slide it against his jaw, feeling the beginnings of his stubble prickle my skin, then push my fingers into his thick hair, tilting my head up and urging his head down as I angle my mouth towards his and plant a whisper of a kiss on his firm lips.
My mouth rushes with tingles as the warmth and the scent of him assault my senses and I allow myself to let out a small gasp of pleasure.
I need to convince him I’m enjoying every moment of this in order to keep up the pretence that he’s capable of giving me the satisfaction I need.
That I’m desperate for him to give me release from the pent-up sexual energy only he can stoke in me.
I press my lips harder against his, opening my mouth and sliding my tongue against his.
There’s a low throb building deep in my pelvis as my body reacts to my proximity to him and the thought of what he’s going to do to me.
Shifting my body closer, I crush my breasts against his solid chest, inviting him to wrap his arms around me, to pull me to the floor, rip off my clothes and make the magic happen.
But he doesn’t.
He just stands there with his arms hanging loosely by his sides, taking my kisses but not reciprocating.
As soon as I realise this, I pull my mouth away from his and frown, seeing his eyes are open and free of any kind of expression of desire.
‘What’s wrong?’ I ask, trying not to sound worried, though I don’t think I get away with it. My voice has a give-away shake to it that sends a sting of horror through me. ‘I thought this is what you wanted.’
He raises one eyebrow and looks at me as if he thinks I’ve lost my mind.
‘You don’t really think I’m going to just throw you down on the floor right here and now and that’ll be the end of it?’
He sounds incredulous, as if I’m being the biggest idiot alive.
Heat burns in my cheeks. ‘I don’t understand. I thought that’s what the deal was,’ I say, taking a step back and smoothing down my rumpled suit jacket, desperately trying to save face.
His snort is full of amusement. ‘I’m not twenty any more, April.
I like to take my time over sex these days.
Give my partner the maximum amount of pleasure possible.
That means build-up. Foreplay. Anticipation.
Rushing into things is never a good idea.
It’s all over way too soon and neither of us has the opportunity to properly experience it.
The end result is so much more enjoyable when it’s been hard won, don’t you agree? ’
His smile is wide and wicked, and it suddenly occurs to me exactly what he’s doing.
‘So how long are you expecting me to stay here with you before you finally decide to give me this holy grail orgasm?’ I demand, nerves and frustration getting the better of me, making me snappy.
He shrugs his wide shoulders. ‘I’m not sure. A couple of days? Three? Four? As long as it takes to satisfy me you’re not just “faking it again”.’
He puts the last three words in disdainful air quotes. I curse myself for having said that to him now. It’s caused more problems than I ever could have anticipated.
Bloody men and their bloody male pride.
‘I don’t have three or four days to spare,’ I argue. ‘I have a company to run.’
‘And a huge and very competent team working for you who can handle you not being there breathing down their necks for a few days,’ he argues back, not unreasonably.
I know my team can handle me being away for that long – but can I? Especially if it means being here with Jamie twenty-four-seven.
I stare at him, hating him for doing this to me, but at the same time feeling a weird sense of pride that he’s going to such lengths to have me.
I can see from the small tick in his jaw that he’s feeling the tension here too.
He’s a little afraid that I’ll refuse to stay and he’ll never be able to satisfy himself that he’s good enough to get one over on me. That he can beat me.
I suppose I can stay long enough to convince him he has. It’s no big deal, really. Just a couple more days of play-acting.
I can do that.
I give him an assured nod. ‘Okay. Fine. I’ll stay for a couple of days. Three maximum. That’s all I can afford to have away. We’re very busy at the moment and things start to fall apart if my team can’t get hold of me when they need quick answers to things.’
‘Well, they’re just going to have to cope,’ he says with a lopsided grin, evidently feeling he’s won this battle. ‘You have to promise not to make or take any business calls while you’re here. I want your undivided attention.’
I swallow hard. That’s going to be tough. I’m usually on the phone all day long when I’m not in the office, but I guess I can cope if I’m able to brief everyone first.
‘Agreed,’ I say. ‘As long as you give me an hour now to prep everyone.’
‘Okay. You have one hour,’ he says with a slow grin full of wicked promise. ‘Then you’re all mine.’
Jamie
I’ve done it. I’ve convinced her to stay. Which means I have a real shot at getting her to open up to me.
I’m going to take a lot of pleasure in teasing and provoking her, getting her all hot and bothered, dazed and befuddled with lust.
Then I’m going to take great pleasure in breaking her.
It’s going to be a lot of fun.
And hopefully it’ll finally give me the peace and closure I’ve been craving.
‘I’ll let you have the room,’ I say, strolling past her. ‘But I’ll be back in one hour exactly.’
I don’t turn around and look at her again, imagining her expression of determination to make this work, no matter what she’s going to have to put up with from me.
But she needn’t worry. I’ll be kind. In fact, I’m going to be the perfect host. Friendly and courteous, generous and fair.
I’m a gentleman, after all.
I pace away from the library, through the hallway, then open the front door and walk towards the beach.
Despite the knowledge that my plan is going well, I’m still filled with a nervy sort of energy.
Being in such close proximity to her back there in the library has put me on edge.
It was like torture, holding myself back from returning her kiss and ignoring the firm press of her body up against mine.
My cock ached to conclude what we’d started a few weeks ago, but I know it would’ve been disastrous to give in to my carnal need, to strip that sexy white suit off her and make her moan right there, laid out across my desk.
Fuck.
I have to take a deep, calming breath and focus on the horizon with its fluffy white clouds dotted in random patterns across the brilliant azure blue, to snap my thoughts away from that particular fantasy. I’ll get to do it at some point. Just not yet.
The sea is calm today and gently laps at the sand as I stroll up and down the beach, matching my breathing to the rise and fall of my feet to bring me back to a state of composure. The water looks inviting and I imagine how fantastic it would feel, rushing over my over-heated skin.
Hell, I don’t know why I’m stopping myself. I have some time to kill, after all.
So I strip off. Everything. There’s no other island even remotely near enough where I can be seen from and boats rarely sail close enough to my shore for anyone to spot me flashing my dick at them.
As I anticipated, the cool water on my skin feels incredible as I wade into the sea, pushing against the rhythmic swell of the waves. Shivers of pleasure rush through me as I go from the searing hot heat of the day to the cold depths of the clear, aquamarine water.
I’m intensely aware of my heart thumping against my chest as I begin to swim away from the shore.
She’s done that to me, April, with her attempt to seduce me into completing the deal before I was ready.
I’m feeling a mixture of irritation, sexual frustration and longing now, and I know I need to pull myself together before I face her again or I might end up doing something I regret later. Timing is everything here.
I manage to work off most of the adrenaline surging through my veins by swimming hard up and down parallel to the shore, changing my stroke on each turn.
Finally, breathless and thoroughly worked out, I turn back towards the shore and let the waves carry me back towards the beach.
As soon as it’s possible, I put my feet down onto the ever-shifting sand and stand up.
The water is still waist-deep and as I straighten I feel my hard cock – which has refused to go down despite the vigorous exercise and my attempts to try and blank my mind of her – bob against my stomach.
Instinctively I reach down into the water and take it in my hand, giving it a firm tug, trying to placate my need to be touched.
But it’s not enough. Not nearly enough. Now the memory of April pressed up against that wall at the charity fundraiser with me thrusting inside her, her mouth slack and her eyes wide with desire, spins into my head and I can’t help but give my dick a couple more rough tugs in response to it.
The look she’d had in her eyes reminded me of the way she used to look at me when we were together.
With such open heat and devotion. One of my favourite recollections from that long-ago time was when she was on her knees in front of me with my cock deep in her throat, her eyes open and fixed on mine.
Totally subservient. Totally turned on. Totally trusting as I slid in and out of her mouth, feeling her tongue working hard at the end of my cock, catching a spot in a way she knew sent me crazy.
I turn away from the house and face out to sea, the memory playing on repeat in my mind as I work my dick in serious strokes now. I need the release from the erotic thrall she has me in so I can go back in there and maintain control over the situation. And this seems to be the only way to get that.
Closing my eyes, I concentrate on the image of her taking my cock in her mouth again, satisfying my greedy need.
My hand works frantically, my thumb catching the head, and I imagine it’s her mouth and tongue on me, sucking, licking and swallowing.
Taking me deep, her eyes staring into mine with a look of utter reverence.
I come hard, my body shaking with blessed relief, my semen mixing with the salty body of water and floating away with my happy memories and crushed dreams.
Hell, I miss what we had.