Page 87 of Maneater

I can work with this, I tell myself. I can handle that. I can deal with the rest of it…later.

Right now, I’m going to live in the present. And present me wants Rowan Fisher.

“Then upstairs,” I whisper. “We can order up dessert later.”

And when he smiles wide, I know it was the right answer.

THIRTY-FIVE

JOSIE

We walk up to Rowan’s room in silence, Rowan walking so quickly I feel like I’m almost running behind him. When we get to his room, he pulls out his keycard and tugs me inside, slamming the door shut behind us and pinning me to it as he does.

“I need to get you out of this,” he says, lips to my neck, and I moan at the idea of it.

“Zipper is in the back,” I say, my own fingers moving at the buttons on his shirt as his lips move over whatever skin he can find. It’s frantic and frenzied, the need to expose and touch as much skin as possible once and for all. His fingers find the zipper and tug it down before using his teeth on the straps, tugging them off my shoulders until they fall down, my dress following suit.

He steps back, looking me over.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he whispers, taking me in like he’s never actually seen something so breathtaking in his life.

Now, I have a good ego and great self-confidence. Once I emerged from my awkward phase in early high school, I always knew I looked good in a fifties bombshell kind of way, regardless of the current body trend. Smooth skin, lush, wide hips, and a small waist all make even my mouth water when I look in the mirror.

But never in my life have I felt as gorgeous as I do right now, naked in front of Rowan Fisher, his fingers roving over every inch of my body. He’s looking at me like I was carved out of the most precious material with him and him alone in mind. Like he wants to keep me, to preserve me. To make me his.

Finally, he shakes his head like he’s knocking himself out of some daze and steps closer to me, tugging my naked body into his clothed one.

“Do you remember when I said I was going to tie you to the bed and have my way with you, so there was no way we wouldn’t finish what we started?”

Heat runs through me, desire and need, and so much lust I think it might consume me coursing through my veins with his mere words. He holds up three silky ropes that I don’t remember him grabbing, and my mind does not want to spend too long on the how of how he has them, just the why, until I take a closer look and see it isn’t rope at all, but ties tied together.

“My god, how many ties do you have, Rowan?” I ask with a laugh. “I don’t think I’ve seen you wear more than one or two while you’re here.”

He gives me a boyish smile that I fucking love before shrugging. “They’re easy to throw in a suitcase, and I never know how many to bring or how long I’ll be somewhere. I brought a bunch.” He shakes the fistful with a smile before gently wrapping his hand around my arm.

He has me sit on the edge of the bed, then shifts my arms behind my back, stacking my wrists over each other before he ties them together with a gentle, assured movement. My breathing escalates at the touch of his fingers on my bare skin, my ability to touch him removed. “At any time, you say stop, and we’re done. I let you out of these, and I fuck you nice and sweet.” He presses a kiss to the inside of my wrist, where I’m sure he can feel my pulse thrumming.

“And if I don’t?” I ask, my voice a mere whisper.

“Then we’re going to play. And there will be no interruptions.” There’s a smile in his voice before he presses another kiss to my neck,and I shiver. He moves to the foot of the bed and continues his quick work, using his tie-rope to tie one leg and then the other to each bedpost until my legs are spread wide on the bed. It’s not uncomfortable, just enough that I feel stretched. On display. For his enjoyment.

It’s absolutely thrilling.

“Look how fucking pretty you are,” he groans when he stands back to survey his handiwork.

“You’re still dressed,” I note, taking in his body.

He smiles, a wicked one that goes straight to my core.

“I’ll undress when I’m ready. I’m in control, Josephine.”

Another shiver runs through me, both at the look in his eyes and the idea of him being in control.

With my job, I’m always in control. Always on, always aware. Otherwise, it could be dangerous. But here, with Rowan, I feel safe. Able to turn it off, to let him do with me what he will. A sense of ease runs through me at the realization, the understanding that I trust him so completely.

“You’ve been telling lies, Josie,” he whispers, and a shiver rolls through me. I should feel nervous about his statement, but instead, my body is heating up.

“Lies? Me? Never.”