Page 31

31

PENNY

A rollercoaster has nothing on the loop de loops that are currently rolling in my stomach. I take another deep breath as I stride out of the bedroom and into the living space.

My eyes zero in on him sitting on the long cream sofa that lines one of the walls, a glass of scotch in his hand, resting on the cushion alongside a thick, toned thigh. He’s loosened the tie he had on earlier, the jacket discarded over the back of an armchair, and his shirt sleeves are rolled up to show his muscled tan forearms. Arm porn is real, and it’s no joke. His head’s lolled back, resting against the top of the sofa, his eyes closed and lips slightly parted.

He looks like a brooding god, his cheekbones sculpted and his lashes resting on top of them. He’s beautiful.

My anger starts to slip and lust starts to eat away at me. I want him. But more than that, I want him to own me, to take control and use my body as his plaything. Even if I know it’ll ruin me for anyone else. But I also want to know him. I want to know what happened, why he lost his composure—what makes him tick, and what incited the eventual boom.

I shift gently on my feet, trying not to disturb the scene in front of me, but he hears me. Instead of snapping his head up to confront me, he opens his eyes slowly and watches me. The rollercoaster in my stomach crests a high loop and the swoop almost makes me topple over. He lifts his head slowly and latches his gaze onto mine. My lip is between my teeth, and as his eyes darken, I quickly stop nibbling on it and clear my throat. “Are you… okay?”

He laughs softly and takes a sip of his drink. “I’m fine.” His voice sounds thick and dangerous. And while my rational brain screams at me to head in the other direction, away from him and toward the safety of my room—or a flight back home—that magnetic force pulls me closer.

“You don’t sound or look fine. Tell me what happened. Talk to me, Ben.”

He tilts his head to the side, looks at his glass, smirks, and then leans over to place it on the end table next to him. “You want me to talk?” He leans forward, resting his forearms on his thighs as he looks up at me, and I nod my head, unable to answer him. “You want me to tell you that the way his eyes zeroed in on you as soon as you walked in the place made me incredibly angry and jealous? Is that what you want to hear?”

I inhale deeply, his words sending a flush of arousal through me while my mind scolds my reactions for liking his possessive and ridiculous words. “You don’t need to get angry or jealous.”

“I didn’t like it. You’ve completely derailed me, Penelope.” The vulnerability in his answer shocks me a little and I walk over to stand directly in front of him.

“Ben, do you want to explain that to me? I don’t understand what you mean, and I think I need to.”

“I know.” He sighs and reaches out his hands, gripping my hips, never losing eye contact. “I saw what happened to my dad. He fell head over heels in love with my mum. Was besotted with her. Devoted. He would’ve moved heaven and hell for her if she’d asked him to. But, she never loved him. Never returned what he gave. No, she took him for everything he was worth.”

My breath hitches in my throat at the sheer vulnerability in his voice. I step closer to him, not even an inch between us, as he drops his focus level with my stomach.

“But you know, that wasn’t the worst thing she did.” He takes a shaky breath in and then blows it out, the warmth of his breath scorching through the fabric of my dress and searing my skin beneath it. But I stand still as a statue, trying desperately to not disturb him.

“She destroyed him. His faith in people and his belief in true love were shattered. She turned him from a happy, easy going guy into a ruthless, cut-throat businessman who didn’t give a fuck about anyone. Including his only son.

“He was never abusive toward me, but was definitely resentful. He moulded me into his perfect protegé, sent me out to the big bad business world and watched me conquer it. I dominated in every aspect. And when I flew out to America, I knew failure wasn’t an option.

“I know if I were to fall in love, get married and settle down with someone like you, it would be yet another failure in his eyes. But that’s not even the worst thing. I’m scared. Scared I’ll end up just like him—bitter, twisted, alone—if a relationship with you falls apart.”

My heart’s beating so fast I’m sure he can feel it, but I don’t care. He’s just laid himself wide open for me. It’s what I’ve needed. To know what was holding him back.

“Is that what you want? A relationship with me?” My voice is a whisper, but he hears it, because his breath hitches slightly.

“Penelope…”

“Answer my question.” His fingers dig into my flesh strong enough to leave bruises, and the idea sends a shiver through my body. I want this. The big powerful businessman wanting me so desperately he leaves himself open for me. It gives me the confidence to do the same for him. Makes my fears and insecurities fade away.

“You want to know what I want?”

He looks up to me and I nod.

“Fuck.”

He groans and lowers his head until it’s resting on my stomach. The urge to card my fingers through his thick dark hair is too strong to ignore as my hands cradle his head.

“I want you , Little One. I want everything with you. The full gig. I want what the Bradys have. You and me, a team. And it terrifies me.”

His confession gives me confidence and I tug on the back of his hair, encouraging him to look at me. His eyes darken, the vulnerability replaced with an intensity I thought only existed in romance novels.

“Stand up, Ben.” The sharp inhale of his breath is the only noise in the room as he stands to his full height. Without my heels I’m a lot shorter than him and I lean back a little to be able to see him. “I want that, too. It’s scary thinking about the future, and something I want to explore, but tell me what you want right now.”

“Right now? I want you on your knees, sucking my cock. I want you sprawled out on the dining table, the bed, the shower, I want you and I can’t breathe properly without thinking about you.”

His eyes are focused solely on my own as I drop to my knees. The bulge in his trousers surges forward and I lick my lips in anticipation. His hand wraps around the back of my neck, his fingers swooping into my hair.

“You’re such a good girl, Little One.” His words wash over me like a wave crashing to the shore. “You like that? You like being my good girl?”

I nod as he strokes my cheek and hums in approval. “Stand up.”

Confusion filters through the lust, and I do as he says, but I narrow my eyes and frown.

“I want to fuck your mouth, Little One. But not here. I have a particular fantasy I haven’t been able to get out of my head. Come with me.” He laces our fingers together and leads me through the suite, into the master en suite, and stops outside the shower.

“You said I had to get dirty before I got clean.”

“I intend to make you very dirty, Little One. Now strip.”

A thrill runs through me, and with no hesitation I pull the hem of my dress up and whip it off my body. His eyes eat up the dark green lace lingerie, and I’m so thankful I grabbed them and decided to wear them after my earlier shower. He drags his eyes over my body and a surge of power flows through me.

He wants me. He likes what he sees. And he may think he’s in charge, but with the way he’s looking at me, I know I’m the one who has all the power. Knowing this, I reach around my back and unhook my bra, letting it fall off my shoulders and drop to the floor.

“Fuck,” he groans as he starts to unbutton his shirt, his eyes never leaving my breasts. “You’re fucking gorgeous.”

His praise fills me with confidence, and I hook my thumbs into the sides of my panties, lowering them slowly and kicking them off my ankles, leaving me standing before him completely bare.

“ Vasilissa mou. ”

I don’t know what he said, but the words dancing on his lips, the husky tone of his voice laced with need, sends a gush of arousal to my exposed pussy. I clench my thighs together to try to stem it, but it does nothing.

“Don’t try to hide your arousal from me, Penelope. I need to know what you like, what you want, it makes everything better for both of us.” He stands in front of me, his fingers ghosting over the outside of my thigh. “You like hearing me speak Greek to you?”

As the whispered word yes drips from my lips, he dips his head and presses his lips against mine, soft and gentle. I want more, but before I can press myself to him and take the kiss to another level, he steps away and strips his shirt off.

“Get in the shower, Little One.”

I can’t take my eyes off him. He looks like he’s sculpted out of marble, hard but beautiful. I take in every divet of his muscles and golden skin, committing them to memory.

“Shower, Penelope.”

The amusement in his words doesn’t take away from the demand, and I squeak a little ‘ meep’ as I scurry into the shower, the water instantly warm and the spray washing over me like a soft mist. Dragging my hand through my hair, moving the wet strands from my face, my breath catches when he steps into the shower. The image of every statue of every god I’ve ever seen vanishes from my mind, replaced by the man standing in front of me. He’s stunning. And…

“Oh my god. It’s not gonna fit.” I clamp a hand over my mouth to stop any more whispered words from escaping as his chuckles fill the room.

“It’ll fit, Little One. I’ll make sure of it.”

The water cascades down his body and I can’t drag my eyes away from the droplets trailing lower and lower.

“Tell me what you thought of Kingston.”

My gaze snaps to his and I shake my head a little to clear the lust away. “You really want to talk about him right now?”

He steps around me, circling me, his finger trailing up and down my arm. “Answer my question. What did you think of him?”

“He’s a dick. He gave me the ick.”

He stops behind me, dragging his hand down the planes of my back, and I shiver at his touch.

“Good girl.” His hand skims over my ass and I breathe in deeply. “Next time you meet someone who gives you the ick, don’t hold yourself back. I like your sharp tongue. It turns me on more than you could even imagine. And I don’t want you to change a bloody thing about yourself, Vasilissa mou. ”

He moves to stand in front of me, his erection inches away from my stomach and his fingers brushing against the side of my breast, but his eyes are locked on mine. “On your knees, Little One. It’s time to get dirty.”

I lick my lips, letting a grin ghost over them before whispering, “Yes, sir.”

His pupils widen, his eyes darken, and he growls his approval as I sink to my knees for him.