Chapter 8
Halle
The View of the World restaurant.
World renowned.
Recipient of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for over twenty years.
Famous for a dining room that revolved three hundred and sixty degrees every eighty minutes. A view of Las Vegas to die for.
Strict dress code. Incredible chef. Amazing menu.
A piano player providing soulful, beautiful music.
Candles of every size creating a shimmering glow throughout the expansive space.
And we had it all to ourselves.
“How?” I asked finally as I sipped my glass of wine. The cabernet was incredible. When paired with oysters on the half shell and seared Scottish salmon, a perfect choice. It was even better with the layered chocolate hazelnut cake for two.
“How?” Alexsey asked as he lifted his forkful of cake, his eyes narrowing. When he reached across the table, arching a single eyebrow, I automatically opened my mouth.
He had a way of issuing silent commands that I’d not only followed, but had wanted to do so.
To please him. To experience every sensual side of the man.
I nodded as I chewed. Everything about him was sensual, including the way he slipped a single finger through a drop of icing left on my bottom lip.
Before saying anything, he slid his finger into his mouth, taking the time to suck on the icing, the act so provocative I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
“The restaurant. How did you convince the owner to allow you to have the dining room all to ourselves?”
His chuckle sent a series of vibrations down my arms, straight to my already aching pussy.
My core had been throbbing all night, through lively and interesting conversations, discussions on music and books, movies and the state of Las Vegas.
We’d laughed and bantered and I’d never felt so comfortable with anyone as I did with him.
How strange.
How electrifying.
“As I told you,” he started.
“That’s right. You have your ways.” I swiped my finger through icing on the cake, immediately brushing the tip across his lips.
“And so do I.” Before I had a chance to pull my arm away, he wrapped his long fingers around my wrist and took my finger into his mouth.
Just watching the way his eyes became hooded as he sucked on my finger was powerful.
The way he danced his tongue across my skin was evocative.
And the intensity of his actions became seductive.
“Tell me something, Halle, and be truthful.”
“Mmm… A challenge. Alright. What is the question?”
He leaned further over the table. “Do you enjoy breaking rules?”
“I never break them.”
His response of placing the tip of his finger against my nose brought a short laugh. “Try again.”
“When did I break the rules?”
“When you entered my house without backup.”
“Now, how would you know that?”
The intensity of his stare kept my heart fluttering. “I’m omniscient.” Every time he laughed, I swooned just a little bit. “I overheard some of the firefighters talking.”
“Oh, that. I saved a life. That was reason enough.”
“Rules are in place for a reason. You do know what happens to bad little girls who break the rules. Don’t you?”
“No, tell me.”
A rush of desire shifted back and forth between us.
“Bad girls are punished.”
The words thrilled me, which was ridiculous.
“What is this, Alexsey?” I breathed as the electric vibrations continued to tickle every inch of my skin.
“The insistence on seeing me, thanking me. The clothes. A life-sized stuffed animal for my little girl, let alone medicine that might keep her alive. Dinner that cost you multiple thousands of dollars. Why?”
He took his time savoring his lurid actions before popping my finger from his mouth. But he kept my hand close, the same look in his eyes. “Because I wanted to, Halle.”
“And? Don’t lie to me.”
“I will never lie to you. This is about stripping away your defenses. About driving aside your inhibitions. And once I do, I’m going to break you.”
While the certainty in his voice would ordinarily annoy me, his seductive tone and the words themselves did nothing but excite me. Yet I wasn’t the kind of woman who would shed my defenses for any man.
“I’m sorry, Alexsey. No one will ever be able to break me.”
“Trust me, Halle. I am never wrong.”
His arrogance was palpable, which was why I found it so fascinating. He was a complex man, edgy on the outside while being considerate, even kind on the inside. The dichotomy was what had kept me from shutting down. I craved to learn more about him. His wants. His needs.
The power and danger surrounding him.
He pushed himself away from the table, his eyes never leaving mine. I watched as he stood, slowly removing his jacket and placing it over the back of the chair. His eyes remained piercing mine as he jerked on his tie, tugging it free while a smile slowly crossed his face.
For some reason, I held my breath when he unbuttoned his shirt, moving to the sleeves. As he rolled them up and over his elbows, I noticed an incredible tattoo on his forearm. A dagger through a rose.
The sight of it brought questions that eventually I would need answers to. When he was finished, he beckoned for me with a single hand, curling his fingers for enticement. I realized that he hadn’t blinked. Not once. The uncertainty of what he was planning was even more exciting.
He pulled me to my feet, the force enough to drive our heated bodies together.
The feel of having him so close, the tickle of his hot breath dancing across my skin created a series of filthy thoughts and images.
I had the intense need to touch his skin, including tracing the tattoo beautifully marking his skin.
Everything about the man was enchanting as he moved back and forth while inching close to the stunning ebony grand piano. A focal point of the room, the beautiful instrument had a permanent position in front of a sweep of floor-to-ceiling windows.
Alexsey shifted us back and forth in time to the intense bass beats of the piece the pianist had chosen. A little nagging in the back of my mind told me that he’d also been involved in the music selection. There was no doubt he wanted to be in control of everything.
Including me.
He twirled me around the makeshift dance floor, his expertise in dancing not surprising. I had a feeling there was nothing the man couldn’t do.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d danced and for a few seconds felt extremely awkward, but when I almost stumbled from heels I wasn’t used to wearing, he pulled me even closer. Now the crushing weight and the feel of his throbbing cock pressed between my legs left me breathless.
As he’d done in the car, he cupped the side of my face, using his thumb to continually tickle my skin.
When he lowered his head, I was taken by the intensity of every action he took.
Just as before, the moment he captured my mouth I was drawn into flashes of light destroying all possibility of seeing anything clearly.
He continued turning us in a seductive dance while teasing my tongue with his. But there was no mistaking that he was firmly in charge. Even the way he had one arm around my waist told me I was going nowhere.
When he finally broke the moment of intimacy, he used his thumb to lift my chin, dragging his tongue from one side of my jaw to the other. “Tonight, you belong to me. All. Night. Long.”
The words were thrilling, enough so I was even more lightheaded than before. A sudden hard stop of the music was disappointing. Hearing footsteps seconds later caught my attention.
What was the man up to?
I pushed away enough to glance over my shoulder.
The pianist had walked away into the shadows. Only then did I realize there was a silver bucket on the piano’s surface with a bottle of champagne nestled inside.
Goosebumps broke out up and down my arms.
My heart thudded even more.
My nipples hardened to the point of discomfort.
Alexsey pulled free, winking before moving toward the piano.
“What is this?” I asked him, more than curious. Was he kidding me? In addition to every other incredible attribute he was also a pianist?
“You’ll see. Bad girl.” As he sat down, I found myself crowding the edge of the piano. I pulled a crystal flute of champagne into my hand, waiting to see what he would play.
He closed his eyes and placed his fingers on the keys. I could tell by how his expression changed that he was falling into a realm where nothing else existed but the music that he was already hearing in his mind.
And when he began to play, I stood up straight, holding my breath. His skills were incredible, his posture allowing me to see he was completely lost in the music.
The song I recognized and this time I was surprised. His choice? ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me.’
Maybe I was reading too much into his selection, but I was truly taken aback. Yet when he began to sing, I was no longer certain if I was even breathing.
His deep voice was soulful, husky enough without being overbearing. He had a natural way of keeping his intensity personal, one ravaging moment followed by controlled breath sounds. I crowded closer to where he was sitting, taking short gasping breaths when he reached the chorus.
I wiped my eye, realizing tears had formed. His voice was breathtakingly beautiful, haunting in a way that led me to believe he’d lost the love of his life.
When he finally opened his eyes, they were immediately pinned on me. With every line of the song, every swing of his shoulders as his fingers moved perfectly across the keys, I was more and more mesmerized.
By his talent.
By his beauty.
And by the swell of feelings that kept me both in awe and in need. He was the most desirable man I’d ever met. There was something so ethereal about his performance that left me in complete awe.
When he was finished, he lowered his head, keeping his fingertips on the keys.
I slumped against the piano, incapable of giving the reaction he needed. But I tried. I clapped in joy, but the level of emotion I was feeling was tearing me apart.
Alexsey lifted his head and the reflection of hundreds of candles in the glass allowed me to see the beautiful coloration of his eyes. The windows to his soul were enveloped in extreme lust, a need that neither one of us could deny.
“That was… amazing. You are just…” I laughed, shocked how nervous I’d suddenly become. “Amazing.” I struggled with placing the flute on the piano without knocking it over. No man had ever befuddled me the way he’d done.
“Come here,” he commanded.
I couldn’t move.
“I said. Come. Here.” He took me by the wrist, yanking me between his legs. With his fingers wrapped around my hips, he lowered his head, pressing his face against my stomach.
The move was so unexpected I wasn’t certain how to react. The vibrations between us were stronger than before, so much so my core was completely on fire. I wrapped my arms around his head, rubbing my fingers in his thick hair.
I was so lost in the moment I hadn’t realized he’d slipped one hand under my dress. A warm palm settled on my inner thigh and the heat sent a full-blown shot of electricity directly into my core.
Shuddering audibly, I found myself parting my legs as if giving him permission. There was nothing like the thrum of excitement sweeping through me or the filthy visions that refused to leave me alone.
I should care we were in a public place and whatever staff remained in the restaurant could spy on us, but I just didn’t.
As he brushed his fingers along the inside of my thigh until he reached my panties, I threw my head back. Half laughing, I tried to focus on the ceiling, but it was a fade to black moment. I was gently tugged forward as he used his other hand to untie the sash on my dress.
Now I knew why he’d chosen a wraparound. When he’d untied the second string placed against my waist, he pulled the material away.
Breathing in deeply, he lifted his head, his eyes much darker than before. He rolled his fingers along the thin elastic of my lace thong while squeezing my side with the other. Just the way the rough pad of his thumb shifted back and forth across my skin kept my mind buzzing.
Everything about the look in his eyes made me more excited than I’d been in a very long time.
Then he spoke and all hell broke loose in my mind.
“Make no mistake, Halle. Tonight I will fuck you and yes, I will break you.”