Chapter 19
Christian
Penelope had lied to me.
There was no reason for me to be angry. She certainly had a right to her privacy, but I was still furious nonetheless. She was frightened of what she called a troll.
The man was no troll. Not given how he’d reacted to the picture of us floating around on the internet. He was consumed with her, furious she’d dared allow another man to touch her.
What irony. I felt exactly the same way, only I had the added benefit of having tasted her.
Which I would do again.
I knew how men behaved. I had educated myself in all the red flags. God knew I’d participated in many of them before I’d perfected my game.
She was also wrong that she couldn’t be found. Anyone could be with the right tools.
Many trolls hid behind innocuous accounts. The guy could be nothing but a lonely guy who’d latched onto her for whatever reason. Or there could be something more sinister at play.
His acceleration in possessive comments had turned a corner with me. I’d handle the situation my way after tonight.
But first things first. I was eager to peel away another layer with the stunning woman.
The text I’d sent while enjoying our wine had undoubtedly been obeyed almost instantly, although it would take several minutes of coordinated actions to breathe life into the location. That had left me driving around in circles, partially to keep her uncertain where I was taking her.
As soon as she touched her blindfold, I allowed her to hear my displeasure with a single growl. She immediately stopped.
Good girl.
Why did the time spent with her feel so entirely different? Every word out of my brother’s mouth had nagged me since the moment in the office. I hadn’t lied about her being different. Sadly, I still didn’t know what that meant except for one thing.
No other man would ever be allowed to touch her.
In watching the way she’d stood gazing at the fairgrounds, I’d known I’d made the right decision both in sharing something with her tonight and in an act of business.
A frivolous purchase maybe, but one I didn’t regret.
Even if it brought her two hours of happiness.
With the sun finally turning into twilight, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
“You do realize this isn’t fair,” Penelope said as I guided her toward the entrance.
“Did you honestly believe that anything in life is?”
“I know what you’re going to say. Life is what we make it?”
I rolled my hand down her arm, enjoying the prickles dancing on her skin that trailed behind. “No, sweet girl. Life is what we command it to be.”
“Does that include people?”
With my guidance, we were standing at the gates, which had been opened for our arrival.
I lowered my head, pressing my face into her neck.
Her shiver was fantastic and she placed her hand on mine.
“Absolutely.” The whisper in her ear provided me with a sense of power, but my cock was already aching, hungering to feel the intensity of her pussy muscles pulling me in even deeper.
That would come soon enough.
Once I’d gently pushed her just inside, she seemed to sense something was different.
“What is it?” I asked, genuinely curious as to what her senses were able to tell her.
“What is that smell?”
“What smell?”
She pressed her fingers to her mouth. “Fried food.”
“Is that what it is? Maybe we’re at another restaurant.”
“Possibly, but knowing what I do about you, I’d say no.”
I guided her a few more steps, noticing one of several employees I’d paid hefty overtime to in order to make this happen.
“You think you know so much about me.”
“I know enough. You refuse to do anything normal or typical, enjoying keeping people off guard with whatever decisions you make. You also enjoy toying with people’s minds, finding them a fascinating study in human nature.”
Perhaps she did know me too well. “Well, keep in mind that can lead to extreme pleasures. Are you ready?”
“I’m always ready.”
The music and lights were already going and if she didn’t know by now where I’d taken her, well, I would be surprised.
Little did she know what her words did to me, the hunger tripping the surface. “I’ll remember that.” I removed her mask, taking a step away to get the full effect of what she was seeing.
A few seconds ticked by before she did. “We’re at the fair?” When she offered a single squeal she clipped off almost immediately, I wasn’t certain how to take it.
“We are.”
Finally, she spun around to face me. “How? It was closed. They shut down a couple days ago. Didn’t they?”
“I might know some people.”
“Who opened it up just for you?”
“Just for us.”
“Where are all the people?” The look on her face, the utter shock and awe while trying to figure out who the hell I was kept my full attention.
“There are several employees working overtime.”
She walked closer, shaking her head. “I mean all the people who would normally bring their kids here.”
“It’s just us. Your own private fair.”
“You’re crazy.”
“I take what I want.”
“That’s not normal. This isn’t normal.” She laughed, her face filled with surprise.
I moved closer, drinking in everything about her. Her expression. The way her lips twisted. The soft sighs indicating frustration. Everything. “Does that mean you’d prefer I turn around and sell it?”
“No. No!” A laugh popped from her lips. “Dinner and a movie would have been fine.”
“Not in my world.”
Her expression moved from one emotion to another. What I wasn’t expecting was for her to rush closer, throwing her arms around my neck. Perhaps I’d never been generous in whatever gift I’d provided, but her reaction caught me completely off guard.
She kept her face pressed against my shoulder for several seconds, her arms clasped together. When she pulled away, she did so only by a few inches. The look in her eyes kept me enthralled.
“I’ll be honest with you. You don’t know what this means to me.” Everything around us slowed, the garish music heard over the sound system blocked out as she pressed her lips against mine.
Subtly at first, a soft brush of her lips as a thank you. But as we’d both experienced before, the moment of intimacy turned into something much more powerful, pulling us both toward unbridled passion.
Her kiss became more aggressive, her tongue thrusting into my mouth. The taste of her was incredible, as usual fueling the hunger to the point I was concerned losing control was the only option.
I rolled my hands down her back, slowing her actions by tempering mine. The kiss became a slow and steady rhythm, a fulfillment of the longing we’d felt at the bar.
When she finally broke the kiss herself and pulled away, the sight of her flushed face kept my balls aching.
She licked her lips first, pressing her fingers against them next as she backed away. “What first?”
I shoved my hands into my pockets, somewhat mesmerized as she twirled in a full circle. “Anywhere you want to go.”
“Now I’m definitely going to be sorry I waited so long to come. One time before it closes for good. All thanks to you.”
“Perhaps now is the time I should confess my sins.”
“Yet you have so many.” She backed away, laughing as she did, even beckoning me to follow.
There was no rush. We could take our time, which was what I did in following her. Watching her.
Stalking her.
That’s exactly the way I felt. A part of me would prefer being a voyeur, doing nothing more than savoring her every reaction.
However, what fun would that be? With her, the excitement was the closeness, her reactions and her laughter.
“I made a purchase a couple days ago.”
“Oh, yeah?” She was moving quickly into the park, making it to the merry-go-round before she came to a sudden halt. This time when she turned to face me, she did so slowly. “Wait a minute. You bought the fair?”
Before answering, I closed the distance, this time enjoying crowding her space. “You mentioned how much you love amusement parks. I put money into the organization running the place, taking control while making the previous owners whole. I own other amusement parks. Why not add to the portfolio?”
Penelope wasn’t a woman who had any issue finding words, something else I admired, but when she blinked several times before looking away, I knew I’d touched a nerve. One so personal she couldn’t share her reaction with me.
I made mental note to find out about her family. Now I wanted to know every detail about her life. That didn’t unnerve me in the least. What did was being okay with the beautiful woman knowing what made me tick.
There was a terrifying and thrilling kind of surrender in letting go with her.
I’d spent my life guarding my own thoughts, but with her, I wanted to be an open book.
More than that, I wanted her to trust me enough to let me wander through the complex, messy, brilliant corridors of her mind.
I craved learning all about her. Every flaw, every passion, every hidden depth while savoring every moment of doing so.
Until her story became inextricably woven with mine.
“I guess I owe you several moments of gratitude,” she said more in a half whisper.
“You owe me nothing, Penelope, but for you to be yourself and enjoy. One day, I hope you’ll place all your trust in me as well.”
“This is… Is this what all rich men do when they can’t get their way?”
“What’s the good in having money if I can’t spend it how I prefer, including to bring a smile to someone’s face?”
“You are very unusual. Come ride with me.” She held her hand out, laughing as she did. She seemed completely free, which was something I’d fought hard to achieve and at that moment, I realized I would never achieve. At least not with the way I ran my life.
As soon as our fingers touched, the sheer jolt of electricity could be felt down both our arms. She burst into laughter, her eyes opening wide from shock.
And she pulled me toward the carousel, laughing when I acted as if I was terrified to jump on. As expected, she selected the largest horse, a colorful brooding chestnut mare that suited her personality.