Page 10

CHAPTER 10

S ara

What did it say about a man that felt comfortable enough to wolf down a cheeseburger in four bites, or to order a second huge ice cream malt and proceed to suck it down like a kid? Or the fact he needed extra ketchup, which made every bite of his French fries sloppy?

Also, what did it say that he just happened to have a mechanic on speed dial? I’d been able to see the face of the man who’d arrived in a big black truck. He’d looked like some bouncer type with far too much testosterone in his body.

Or a hired hitman.

A part of me knew I was being overly dramatic, but Zach was very much the anomaly I’d thought he was. He was also more caring than I’d assumed he’d be. I could tell he was genuinely concerned about what Jerry had done.

I couldn’t take my eyes off Zach as we consumed dinner, my appetite almost matching his. He was entirely different than he’d portrayed himself in the office, laughing at half the things I said, lighting up when I appreciated whatever topic he’d brought up.

The best part of the evening was that I felt comfortable around him. As if we’d known each other our whole lives. It was so strange I couldn’t keep track of time and didn’t care.

Sleep seemed the furthest thing from my mind, his wealth of knowledge about everything from music to movies surprising me. He wasn’t the closed-off asshole everyone thought he was. Plus, after we’d agreed to keeping our names off the table, talking to him had become more fun and he hadn’t tried to pry any private information from me.

I felt more and more at ease around the man.

I also experienced extreme desire, which wasn’t like me.

I’d prided myself in being the most focused human on the planet, determined to win a pipe dream contest and move up in the world. I deserved it after all my struggles and hard work. I’d shut down my time for men, resulting in over-usage of my extensive vibrator collection. But no pain, no gain.

At least that’s what I’d heard.

All my resolve was threatening to crumble around the man and it didn’t make any sense.

“Why are you helping me?” I asked the question as directly as I could.

“Why? Do I need a reason?”

“Yes, you do.”

He grinned as if thoroughly amused. “Okay. I could tell you’d had a rough night. My buddies were a little over the top and with Jerry and the car, you needed a break. Is that so horrible of me?”

“As long as you don’t expect anything in return. Most men would.”

“You’ll learn I’m not most men.”

“Fine. I’ll need to take your word for it,” I finally said. He appeared almost hurt. “I’m sorry. I don’t trust many people.”

“And you shouldn’t. There are some real creepers out there.”

At least he made me smile. “Yes.”

“Just relax. I’m sorry about your car.”

“Me too. What do you do for fun?” I asked, trying to break the tension I’d created.

“Fun. What’s fun? I work. I eat dinner. I sleep. I work out.” He chuckled as if realizing his life was boring as hell. “You?”

“I work. I work another job. I try and sleep. I soak in a tub with wine. And occasionally I do read a fabulous book.”

“Let me guess,” he breathed, the sound becoming more like a growl. “A romance novel.”

“Ha. You make that sound like a bad thing. I’ll have you know I do from time to time. But I prefer thrillers, dark and gritty ones when you have no clue if the heroine is going to survive.”

“But the hero saves the day?”

“Not always.” I sucked on my straw, ensuring I savored the last few sips of the fabulous malted milkshake. The sound was obnoxious even for me.

Zach sat back, his entire face lighting up exactly as it did when I snorted, which I’d done far too often. He thought the noisy laugh I’d had since I was a child was adorable.

“You do love your ice cream.”

“So do you. Two?” I pointed toward the empty parfait glasses. When he shifted in his seat, I was reminded just how tight the booths were in the diner’s effort to fit as many customers inside as possible.

His knee brushed against mine and I was instantly frozen, biting my lower lip to keep from making a single sound.

The jolt of current was widespread, thrumming through every muscle and cell in my body. I was instantly lightheaded, a fog appearing in front of my eyes and a single bead of perspiration trickling down the back of my neck. Why? Because of a man. Yes, a very sexy man with dimples and a killer smile, but he was still just a guy.

Hot bachelor…

“A triple decker ice cream cone?” I challenged to yank myself out of purgatory as I snatched the last French fry off the communal plate.

My God, the man was watching everything I did. Either he was as aroused as I was, or I had something in my teeth.

Zach eyed the treat as if gazing at a bar of gold. When he snapped his fingers around my wrist, I issued a slight gasp. The move was entirely unexpected. He leaned forward, dragging the end of the fry through the ketchup.

I watched in silence and perhaps a hint of reverence as he closed his eyes, lifting our arms toward him. When he bit down on the end of the fry, he did so as if savoring a bite of the finest French cheese or a Swiss chocolate.

“Mmmm…” The single syllable he muttered was strangely thrilling and I realized I was holding my breath.

If this was some younger dude, I’d say he was just trying to impress me to get me into bed. With Zach, he was doing nothing more than being himself. Why I was lucky enough to receive a dose of his true personality was beyond me, but I was happy to take it.

He chewed several times, swallowing before releasing his possessive hold. When he did, I felt a sense of loss, which was silly on every level.

“I’ve done four scoops at one time,” he stated almost as if an admittance.

“I’d need to see that. I can’t imagine you didn’t get it all over you.”

Leaning forward, he waited as I finished the last of the fried treat. “It doesn’t hurt when there’s a beautiful woman to lick up drops of fallen ice cream.”

“Hmmm… If I didn’t know better, I’d say that was a proposition.” Maybe with him I could be anyone I wanted to be. I was still hiding behind a mask of sorts, protected by vibrant colors splashed across my face.

“And what if it was?” His phone rang and almost instantly, he lost his impish grin. “I need to take this.”

“Of course.”

He slid from the booth, moving toward the side window several booths away. Given the late hour, there was only one other customer in a booth close to the entrance. I casually glanced over my shoulder, studying Zach’s expression. Almost instantly after taking the call, a scowl crossed his face. I couldn’t hear his voice, but it was easy to tell he was furious with either the call or the information relayed.

I shifted my gaze out the window, thinking about how dawn would slip over the horizon in less than an hour.

His heavy footsteps were as deliberate as they’d been before. When he eased down onto the seat, I sensed the call had left him in another realm. He said nothing at first and frustration grew exponentially.

“News on my car?”

His nod was brief and slight, his jaw clenching as he did. “Unfortunately, parts need to be ordered.”

Maybe I was being overly sensitive since I didn’t know him, but it felt like he was lying. What the hell was going on?

“That was fast. Parts? What parts?” I asked. There was an ominous tone in his voice. Not as if he’d instructed his man to ruin my vehicle, but more like what had been discovered troubled both.

“A starter for one. Should arrive at his shop late morning.” He was now staring at me as if he didn’t know me or as if we hadn’t spent the last hour plus together. He was also good at the game, acting as if the situation was an inconvenience and nothing else.

I hated the fact I wanted to grill him.

“Shit,” I whispered, fearful of the costs.

“Don’t worry, Wild Kitty. My buddy will be very reasonable with the charges, I assure you.”

Arguing with him seemed pointless.

“Then I guess I need to call an Uber. It’s very late.” I suddenly realized living this fantasy wasn’t good for me. Not right now anyway.

“Yes, very late. Unfortunately, they stop running just before three. A company policy. Too many weirdos on the roads late at night.”

“Shit.” I had no need not to believe him and I laughed nervously, reflecting my fury at being caught with my pants down. “Maybe a cab.”

Laughing, Zach pulled the small paper check from the table. “In this part of town at this hour? Not a chance. I’ll take you home.”

“I can’t allow you to do that.”

“Can’t or won’t?” He pulled out his wallet and I attempted to snatch it from his hand.

“Maybe a little of both. I told you this was my treat.”

“And perhaps one day you’ll learn people follow my rules, not the other way around. That includes you.”

The thought of him knowing where I lived terrified me almost as much as getting into the car with a complete stranger had. This time from the thought of being physically close without having an escape route. At least inside the diner, there were two ways of leaving the building, perhaps three. “Well, then I’ll walk.”

“You’re very stubborn.”

“I’m practical. Plus, I’d prefer to finish out the evening very much alive.”

“Which means you think I’m a killer.”

“Are you? You already said there are some creepers out there.”

The spark in his eye was instantaneous. “To some, yes.”

At least I could continue laughing around him. “Great. I have terrible luck.”

“Now, I am taking you home. Period,” he added as he tossed down three twenties onto the table. “Just being nice. Okay?”

“Do you always get what you want?”

This time when he leaned forward, our lips were almost touching. I was instantly absorbed in his intoxicating scent. “Always.” He got up from the table and expected me to follow.

At this point, there was no other choice. That didn’t mean I wasn’t apprehensive. Too many horror stories had started this way.

By the point we’d reached the parking lot, I’d already rolled my eyes twice. He was my boss, a man with a stellar reputation. His picture had been plastered all over the internet time and time again. He could have any woman he wanted. All the bitches in the world had already lined up to consume one of the Midwest’s most eligible bachelors.

They were socialites and had parents who’d both been born with silver spoons in their mouths. I was a girl with a shady past and an unstable bank account. I also didn’t own fancy clothes or Hermes purses either. Even if I could afford one, I wouldn’t waste my money.

What my reflection told me was that I wasn’t worth killing. Another great thought.

He opened the car door for me, waiting as I climbed inside. I could tell he had something else on his mind, the smirk from before returning. He was humming by the time he walked around to the driver’s side, even tossing his key fob back and forth from one hand to another.

As soon as he thumped down on the seat, the car yielding for his hefty size, I rested my head against the soft leather. “You’re not anything like I thought you’d be.”

“And what did you think I’d be like?” He started the engine and there was nothing like the feel of the powerful Hemi engine between my legs.

“An arrogant ass only caring about himself.”

“Oh, I do care about myself and my needs, just not in the ways you might be thinking.” As he pulled away from the curb, I noticed his eyes were shimmering. I could swear his irises were rimmed in pure gold.

As he rolled out of the parking lot, I took a deep breath. The man would know where I lived. I wasn’t thrilled about the prospect, even though there were way too many employees in the Blackwell Group for him to care about or learn their addresses. I just didn’t want tonight to screw up my chances at winning the contest.

The perks of doing so were rumored to be amazing.

There was silence between us, another awkward moment crowding into my system. But I could tell he was in total control. I finally realized he hadn’t asked me where I lived. In fact… He was going the wrong way. I moved to the edge of my seat, digging my fingernails into his fine Corinthian leather dash.

“Do you feel like doing something else?” he asked.

“That depends on what it is.”

He grinned. “I am a trustworthy guy. Just ask my brothers.”

“Give me their numbers.” I reached out as if asking for his phone. The move caught him off guard and he laughed.

“I will if that will make you feel more comfortable.”

“I think I can trust you. To a point. Where are we going?” I asked, or rather I demanded.

“You don’t seem comfortable with giving me your address, which is understandable. I thought of an alternative. Do you feel up to an adventure, Wild Kitty?” He concentrated on the road and I was fairly certain he was heading out of town.

“That depends on the adventure. Chasing tigers and bears, probably not.”

“I think you’ll appreciate more of what I have in mind.”

“Which is?”

“Why don’t I surprise you?”

I was crazy for even considering allowing the man to take me anywhere. Yet there was more than an inkling of desire to see what he had in mind. The rush of excitement was tremendous, keeping my pulse racing and my palms sweaty. We had a tremendous attraction that couldn’t be ignored. Since I already had the advantage of knowing who he was, I felt confident he wasn’t going to cut me up for chicken food.

And I was intrigued by what he did want to do to me. More than I should be.

While he’d posed a question or two, I had no doubt the man wasn’t taking no for an answer. He’d made that part of his personality perfectly clear.

That alone should turn me off, making it easy to keep my distance from him. But as he sped around the curves, I licked my bottom lip, wondering what it would be like to kiss him. What was I, eighteen? I’d kissed plenty of guys in my day, but his succulent lips screamed of blatant passion, unbridled and sweaty, the kind that would leave me trying to catch my breath for hours.

Only ten minutes later I noticed a sign on the side of the darkened road. A bed and breakfast was just up the road. We were in a little-known part of Chicago where there were dozens of quaint businesses and bistros, tree-lined streets and flowers keeping the area vibrantly appealing. I’d never been able to take enough time to sightsee where I’d decided to live, the location keeping me close to where my brother had gone to college. That had been the single reason I’d chosen Chicago in the first place.

I wasn’t certain if I should jump from the car, trying to find rescue, but in the end, the delirious thought of spending the remainder of the night with the godlike man ruled over everything else.

Zach pulled into a parking space, killing the engine. The lovely exterior lights were providing a perfect illumination of the stunning Victorian mansion. Every feature had been expertly crafted, the colors as if we’d just arrived on the pages of some magazine.

I also noticed the first peeks of dawn were floating over the horizon.

“What now?” I was certainly no innocent flower, fishing for information since he didn’t seem to be the forthcoming type.

“Now, we get to know each other even better.”

“But it’s almost morning. Don’t you need to be somewhere?”

He laughed and opened the door. “Not when I’ve managed to capture the most beautiful wild kitten.” With that, he pulled me into his lap, ignoring the rules of decency and the fact we were sitting in the small parking lot of an unknown establishment. He didn’t seem to care.

Neither did I.

Everything about his hold was possessive and the feel of his fully aroused cock pressing in between my legs brought a slew of filthy images to my mind.

He crushed his palms on either side of my face, lowering his head so slowly I didn’t see it move. When his lips were almost pressed against mine, I held my breath. He responded by blowing a swath of hot air across my jaw.

As if providing me with a sample of what he meant, he captured my mouth, holding our lips in place as a soft gesture. I could barely think of the man as being tender, but he was taking his time, allowing the succulence of his lips to explore mine. Being lost in the moment was spectacular, forgetting who I was the most sinful thing I’d done in my entire life.

He was a stranger, a man I’d considered way out of my league, but the taste of him created the most depraved images.

I would allow him to take and use my body in any way he wanted. That was the price of becoming his for a night.

Or a day.

What did it matter? I was a big girl and could make my own decisions. He was a giant even in the world of powerful men. The attraction was off the charts. What was wrong with indulging in a round of mindless passion?

One and done.

That would be my motto.

He kept his possessive hold as he finally pushed his tongue past my lips, exploring the sweet darkness. His scent was intoxicating, the mixture of musk and deep woods, citrus and a touch of cardamon an enticing combination. I remained lightheaded as I rolled my hands over his shoulders, indulging in one fantasy by wrapping my fingers around his thick strands of hair.

I wiggled on his lap just to indulge in my bad girl side, which brought a deep growl from his throat.

If there were cameras surrounding the property, our foray into intimacy had already been captured. In truth, if he wanted to fuck right here, right now, I wouldn’t have any issues doing so. Wasn’t that a seriously bad girl thought? I’d never been this brazen before, but his masterful kiss proved why I should have allowed myself to go earlier.

Only I’d believed the hungers captivating every dream were twisted, even sick. The thought of being hunted, of being captured and kept was never far from the deepest recesses of my mind.

Our bodies moved together in time, his cock throbbing underneath me. There was no doubt what he wanted. The same thing I did.

My complete surrender.

Capture.

The word was scintillating, evoking dark desires and sadistic thoughts.

That was the moment I threw all caution to the wind.

I wanted this.

I craved this.

I hungered for his touch.

Wild horses and evil spirits couldn’t drag me away, but it was only one time. After that, I could never get this close to the man again.

Unless I was asked to participate in the game.