Page 23 of Possess Me

With my heart racing, I swirled my tongue, fighting tears of frustration burning my eyes. If I didn’t perform well enough, I’d be punished.

His face twisted as every muscle in his body tensed. I noticed the moment he grabbed the thick leather strap, tensing from anticipation.

“You need training, baby girl. That’s alright.”

The single crack of the belt jarred my senses, yet my pussy was on fire, the ache becoming intense.

“What the hell?”I spit out. The music was louder than before. Groaning, I slapped the book down on the table and rose to my feet, moving to the railing to try to locate the source.

I found it quickly enough and the moment I did, I shifted against one of the thick columns.

Oh, my freaking God. While an incredible grouping of tropical foliage covered a portion of the sweeping veranda covering an entire side of a much larger cottage only yards away, I still had a bird’s-eye view not only of the covered deck, but also of a good portion of the gorgeous living room.

As impressive as the furniture was, the eye candy basking in the same afternoon sun was much better.

Him.

Holy shit. I slunk back even further. He was standing on his deck peering out at the water with a drink in his hand, completely oblivious to the fact someone was watching him.

Where he’d been wearing a confining suit before, much like I’d been wearing my typical uniform, now he stood in bare feet and little else except for a fluffy towel secured around his hips.

His extremely carved hips. With the humidity, the material was clinging to every thick muscle.

Including the one between his legs. I bit back a moan.

He was even more gorgeous than I’d envisioned, his skin already a golden brown as if spending the exactly right amount of time in the sun. I’d been right about his tattoos. They covered both arms and his chest in a marvelous, intricate design that created a desire to trace my finger along every edge.

Or my tongue.

Now I had to fight to keep from making a sound. Maybe I should start reading thrillers instead, the filthy thoughts running through my mind so naughty it was possible I would burn in hell. I reached for my wine, trying to remain as quiet as possible. I hadn’t been gifted such a magnificent show in a very long time.

He leaned on the railing as he sipped his drink. Suddenly, the music was a perfect fit for the moment. I lingered my gaze across his strong jaw and broad shoulders, wondering why I hadn’t noticed he barely fit inside a doorway.

His chest was a creation of beauty, the more colorful ink highlighting his six-pack abs perfectly. The way he had the towel draped allowed me to see the clear definition of the deep V cut. If only I could see just how deep the indentation was.

Oh, this was so bad, even worse than what he’d found in my suitcase. Turning around, I told myself to stop enjoying the voyeuristic moment. That wasn’t the kind of woman I was.

Who was I kidding? When you had candy sitting right in front of you, one out of a hundred people could keep from snatching a piece. One more look wouldn’t hurt me. Then I’d sacrifice my desires for a taste of the forbidden for my personal insistence on professionalism.

When I turned around, I grimaced in disappointment.

He’d walked back inside and out of my line of sight.

That would teach me for bending my own rules. Gawking at a client wasn’t in the good girl rulebook.

I settled into the chair, this time propping my feet onto the railing. With the wineglass in my hand, I tried to read a few more pages.

The music was soothing, putting me into a relaxed mood and soon, I realized I’d read the same page at least four times.

And my wineglass was empty.

Time for a refresh and some of the munchies I’d found in the basket.

As soon as I got up, I heard another noise. This time a voice. His voice. I casually looked around, determined to walk inside as I’d told myself I was going to do.

First, I noticed he was talking on the phone.

“Yes, I appreciate the confirmation on the meeting location. I’ll be there at eleven.” His voice boomed, the tone much more aggressive than he’d had with me.