Chapter 23 #2
His hand moves across the table to cover mine. He’s concentrating on his fingers slowly brushing backwards and forwards on the back of my hand and down my fingers. Each one a gentle caress, but it seems like my lady parts think it’s Christmas come early. They’ve gone into party mode.
His hands don’t stop moving, but he looks up at me from under his lashes, his voice low and husky.
“I was seeing Lindy, casual, on and off. But it went on longer than I wanted. I’d gone for dinner with her earlier the same night I came to yours.
Right before you all tried to kill me.” He grins like it was the best event of his life.
“We’d done dinner, and I’d dropped her at her hotel.
But she made it sound like I’d stayed the night. ” He points at me. “You know I didn’t.”
“Yeah, you were unconscious on my lawn.”
He shows me his dimples again. Oh Christ. Pack it in, man.
“I met her again when I was out with my brother in LA, who is engaged to Carter Maywood. Told her we were done, and gave her a not-so-gentle nudge towards Kasey. They’ll suit each other.
She’s building her brand.” He shrugs. “Kasey will help her with that. I was fed up with the paps.” He shrugs again.
“You’re not upset about it?”
He shakes his head. “No. In fact, I’m quite happy about it.
I’m not a celebrity. I’m a builder. I didn’t mind at first, it was fun.
But it got hard work. And besides, I wanted to take you to dinner.
I could hardly do that with Lindy spouting off about her sexy London man.
” His expression turns serious now. “I know the score, Emma. I don’t know the details, but I can guess what happened to you.
So no. I wouldn’t have asked you out if Lindy and I were an item.
” He stares intently into my eyes, his truth shining out through them.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to pry. I just—”
“Hey, it’s fine. I would have asked the same if Nigel had been hanging around, or anyone else.”
I make a huffing sound of disgust. “Nigel is banned from my house. He can only drop off at the top of the drive. He’s not allowed to set foot on my drive.”
“Well I’m glad. The only person you are allowed to try and kill is me.” He states it with a grin. “I can’t believe I wandered unsuspectingly into a criminal HQ. The very lair of the Lincoln crime syndicate. I should have known when I saw the biker gang on the front lawn.”
He sits back, letting my hand go. It feels cold without his fingers on mine. But when he starts to laugh, I join in. I wasn’t there for the attempted murder, and he undoubtedly loves retelling the tale.
The night flies by. We talk, we laugh. The food is delicious. I’m floating around, and not just because I’m in Venice. I’m on terra firma, but everything about this man is heaven. We walk back towards the hotel, and I have no idea of the time, but Venice is very empty.
“Where did everyone go?” The streets are quiet. Even the Grand Canal and waterways are quiet, with far fewer boats than in the day.
“I don’t know. Maybe people don’t live in this bit, prefer to live further out.”
We weave our way back through narrow streets that almost seem like alleyways, his hand on my back or holding my hand as he helps me navigate steps or the odd person.
We walk over a small bridge next to the hotel.
There’s hardly any light. It could be any century. It all feels very gothic, and erotic.
He pulls me to a stop, swinging me gently round to face him. “Are you enjoying it here?” His voice is gentle, almost a caress.
I nod, my speech having deserted me again. He’s got the sexometer out and is cranking the dial upwards. “I love it.” It’s all I can gasp out.
“I love being here with you. You seeing it all for the first time reminds me how wonderful it is. I love it here.” His voice is low, a purr.
“It’s amazing, Jude. Thank you for asking me.” He’s stealing all my senses, and I’m left panting out each word.
“Say it again.” He’s stepped into my very personal space. Our bodies are touching, head to tip. He’s dragged all the oxygen from me. I don’t have any breath left. “Say my name again. I like how it sounds from your lips.”
He moves my hair away from my face with the gentlest stroke of his fingers. Firm, smooth lips brush over my neck and towards my jaw. “Say it,” he commands, his voice in his boots.
The vibrations hit me in the gut, my vagina pulsing like strobe lighting. Christmas, New Year’s, the whole lot—every party season rolled into one.
“Juuuude,” I breathe out. My eyes close and I drop my head back to allow him more access.
The growl from the back of his throat should surprise me.
But it doesn’t. His lips land on mine, hard and hungry.
Both hands are cupping my head. His jean-clad groin doesn’t disguise the hard-on.
But I don’t stop him from kissing me. On a dark bridge in the middle of Venice, I know I won’t stop him. I don’t want to.
I kiss him back. This is what I want. This, here, with him is what I want.
“Say yes to our room. Say yes to me.” His voice is commanding.
“Sign everything that you are over to me, Lincoln. For tonight. Agree to my terms and I swear to you I will sweeten every fucking orgasm I give you. I’ll sign up to a three to one split.
Your three to my one. They’re good terms. Say yes. ”
I can feel the salacious grin as he uses business negotiation terms against me.
And I can’t get any words out as he nips at my ear lobes, his hands near my tits.
His thumb thrumming over the silk of my shirt.
I make a strangled noise. It almost sounds like a no, but that is so far from the truth, I’m annoyed with myself.
I need to take control of my brain to mouth filter.
“You’re driving a hard bargain tonight. I should have known. The woman who has Berlin in uproar would want more than three to one.”
He’s everywhere. His scent, his hands, his lips. He’s using every bit of the gloriousness of his body against me. And I have waved the white flag of surrender. I just can’t get the words out to tell him.
“Five to one, final offer. For tonight anyway. Tomorrow morning we start all over again. I can’t fucking wait.”
“Agreed,” I squeak out.
“Deal.”
He pulls me into the hotel. Up the stairs to our first floor room. Unlocking the door at warp speed. I’m pulled into the room, hair flying, in a whirlwind. I start to laugh at the sheer exuberance of it all.
The energy pouring from him is wild. It amps my breathing up, and I feel lightheaded.
I expect with all the frenzied activity that my clothes will be ripped from me, both of our clothing scattered across the place in no time.
The path from the door to the bed resembling my driveway on a daily basis.
But he surprises me.
I’m pulled into the middle of the bedroom, my breathing sounding loud in the silence of the room.
“You remember your five to one deal?” He’s stood smirking at me, and it’s the sexiest thing I have ever seen.
Holding onto my hands, his fingers constantly play with mine.
I can’t concentrate on his words, my body starting to zap with electricity.
I nod, not really understanding where he’s going with it.
“Well, it wasn't just about the number of orgasms I’ll give you.”
I suck in a breath at that. I’ve never had five orgasms in one night. I was lucky if I got one with Nigel. Unless I took matters into my own hands.
“It was about you in general. I, Ms Lincoln, am going to either tell you what to do, or touch you on a five to one ratio. I will do five things to you, and you can only touch me once.”
My brain is trying to compute what he’s talking about. But his grin is feral, and I just nod. His eyes have me transfixed.
He takes a step back and folds his arms. “Take off your shoes, one at a time.”
I look down at my trainers and then back up at him. He nods his head towards my feet, and then points with his finger. “Shoes. Off.” I’m a panting mess, and he’s asking me to take off my shoes?
“Did I tell you about the forfeits for noncompliance? Every deal has a forfeit system. Shall I tell you yours? You never negotiated it. Tut, tut, tut.” He’s shaking his head at me. I’m not sure what is happening here.
“I thought we were going to have sex?” I blurt out.
He stills, and grins like the devil has invaded his soul.
“Oh, we are. I’m going to fuck you into next week.
In fact, the next month. Every day you sit in your office from now until April, I want you to think about this night.
Think about me commanding your body into total pleasure.
Now get those shoes off, or I’ll spank that arse. ”
My mouth pops open in shock. No one has ever spoken to me like that.
Even Nigel was super respectful—clearly superficial, but he was.
Any other lovers—well maybe three maximum, very short spells—were also gentlemen in the bedroom.
This man. He has no manners at all. Then he starts to count. Backwards from ten.
It’s as if he has fired a starting pistol. I drop into a crouch and remove my trainers, throwing them to the other side of the room. He watches them fly through the air.
“Impressive arm skills. Seemingly the cricket is rubbing off on you.” He smiles again. “Now lose the coat, and the scarf.”
I don’t argue this time. I feel like my scarf is throttling me. I rag it off and shrug off the jacket, again throwing them anywhere I can.
“Like that, is it?” His smile could light up Venice. But his eyes? They’re full of power. Telling me something completely different. It’s dark and dangerous. And I love it.