“Mmmm. Maybe later…if you’re very good.”
First with her hands, then with her mouth, she explored every inch of his body and felt satisfaction at every muscular tremor, every hiss of his breath. After a time, she didn’t know where her pleasure ended and his began.
She covered him with a condom and sat on him. His thick length filled and stretched her. She gulped for air and began to move, then ground her hips against his pelvic bones. This was her show: she set the pace, and he had to follow. Just the thought was intoxicating—the billionaire at her mercy.
Desire grew and threatened to split her. She moved faster over him, pulled herself completely off, reinserted him instants later, pulled off him again. His breathing grew rough and gasping, tremors shaking his body at every clasp and release, and he began tugging at the restraints. She savored every moment of it.
“Stop.”
Natalie didn’t even bother to dignify that with an answer. He was going to come when she wanted him to.
One more stroke pushed both of them over the edge. He let out a guttural shout, and she bit her lower lip hard to contain her scream while her entire body spasmed as a powerful climax hit her.
She collapsed on him, post-orgasmic euphoria turning her body into mush.
“God damn it!”
The words rang like a gun shot. Natalie raised her head, frowning. “What’s wrong?”
“Untie me!”
“Okay, okay.” She fumbled with the restraints, finally getting the scarf to unknot. “What’s wrong?” she asked again.
“The rubber broke.”
* * *
Alex left her on the bed and went to the connecting bathroom, threw away the useless ring of latex that was still on him, and cleaned himself off with a towel.
“Maybe the timing’s off,” he said, pacing back into the bedroom. He was hoping she wouldn’t panic. She was just staring at him, her eyes blank and wide.
He wanted to punch something. Who the hell had a condom break like that in the middle of an orgasm? Didn’t companies do quality assurance anymore?
He raked his hair and cursed. Despite all his careful planning for contingencies, a broken condom had never entered his mind.
“You don’t happen to be on the pill, do you?” he said.
She shook her head. “I don’t do that well on it.”
“Okay.” He took a deep breath. “You know…uh…the timing could be totally off. And there’s no reason to think it’s going to lead to…unintended consequences.”
“Probably not.” That polished mask he’d seen on Louise’s face descended over Natalie’s. Maybe they weren’t so different after all. “You’re probably right. It’s just not the right time.”
It’d better not be. Fathering a child wasn’t part of the plan. Not any plan he’d made.
Still… He had to make sure she wasn’t going to do something rash. He had a feeling she cared a lot about her reputation. Maybe more than she should. The last thing she would want was a pregnancy when her father was trying for reelection in traditionally conservative Virginia. So if she were pregnant, she would run and hide. It wasn’t difficult for someone like her—moneyed, highly educated, and well-connected.
“Yes… Not the right time. But if there are any…problems, we’ll get through them together,” he said, making his promise as vague as possible but with just enough to let her know that he would be her ally. To make any concrete commitment would be foolish. Unlike the Rodales, he kept his word and didn’t give it lightly. But that empty look on her face was driving him crazy. He wanted her to know everything was going to be okay…that he wasn’t a complete bastard.
She blinked once, then shook her head as if to clear it of clutter. “Um… I think you should take me home. There’s no point in discussing this until we know for sure.” She started getting dressed.
Something about her voice—despite its smoothness—warned him to stay away, but his instinct told him to stay with her. The wall around her now was stronger and higher than the one he’d had to breach to get to her, and it made his guts twist. Suddenly, it wasn’t just his revenge at stake. This was more.
“Please,” she added.
Somehow that one word made all the arguments he was marshalling disappear. He stood indecisively for a moment, then put on his clothes and went outside. She followed him silently, her bag in her hand, and they started back.
“Natalie, what’s wrong?”