“How long have you owned this island paradise?”
“About four years give or take.”
“And your beautiful house?”
“That wasn’t there when I bought the place. I had it built to my own specifications. Drew up the plans myself.”
“Impressive.” Just like everything about the man, both good and bad.
As they strolled casually toward the house arm in arm, she almost believed herself to be on a date with Mac, although deep down, she knew nothing could be further from the truth. As they closed in on the contemporary structure, she realized it was even larger than she’d first imagined. “The windows are huge, and they look so dark and forbidding.”
“Only from the outside, honey. I like my privacy as much as the next guy, and the special glass also helps to keep the interior cool.”
“A house like this must have cost a small fortune.”
“And then some. Let’s just say that it cost far more than the million bucks you still owe me.”
His acerbic, almost cruel remark suddenly brought her back to reality with a bang, letting her know that her time here wasn’t a vacation. She was here as his sex slave and needed to hold up her end of the agreement. The alternative being three to five in the State Penitentiary.
Wanting to pull her arm from his grasp but fearing it would only escalate matters further, she accepted her fate by nodding resignedly. “Okay, Mr. Buchanan, sir. You win. I lose, and what you say goes.”
He suddenly stopped walking then abruptly turned to face her, his eyes searching hers with a hardness that frightened her. “And you’ll do well to remember that, Ms. Van Heusen. The debt is still owing. Don’t make the mistake of forgetting that.”
Mac took hold of her hand and squeezed it tightly. He didn’t act with compassion and warmth. He simply demonstrated his dominance and control over her.
“Come, it’s getting late. It will be dark soon.”
As they closed in on the stunning house, she wondered what he would do next. Would he insist on sex immediately, or fuck her from behind while she showered? Mac was ruthless enough to use her body for his own needs without a single thought for her human emotions and well-being. Whichever course of action he decided upon, she realized she had absolutely no say in the matter, because until her debt was paid in full, Mac was the master and she was his slave. However, what he said next surprised her.
“As you’ve already given me great pleasure today, and as you’ve had a long, tiring journey, I won’t make any more demands of you tonight. I suggest you take a shower and then get your head down for a while.” He must have seen the surprise on her face, because with a faint smile to his lips, he added, “You see, Kendall, I have a benevolent side to my personality, too. I’m not a total bastard all the time.”
He aimed a small remote control unit at the impressive front door, and it obediently clicked open a few inches. As he stepped over the threshold, he beckoned her inside, and she followed his lead. Grateful to escape the debilitating heat and humidity, she fanned a hand in front of her face and then sighed with relief.
With a resounding click, he closed the large oak door behind them. “Better, honey?”
“Much.”
Kendall looked around her new surroundings, her home for the next nine days. The space available was immense, and the open-plan interior encompassed a large living area that measured perhaps fifty feet by forty. A vast expanse of cream marble flooring complemented what looked to her like hand-crafted Italian furniture, designed in a contemporary style. Mac was right about the windows, because although they were dark and secretive from the outside, from inside his beautiful home, she had uninterrupted views of the tropical paradise that lay beyond. Softly swaying palms cast long shadows as the sun slowly started to dip below the horizon, giving the island an almost magical appeal. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the back of the house, she saw an impressive covered lanai that overlooked a large outdoor swimming pool.
Dear God, this guy lived like a king or better still a Roman Emperor. She came from an affluent family herself, but Mac’s opulent lifestyle was several levels above what even she was familiar with.
Exhausted, she slumped in one of the large chairs in the center of the living area. “It’s amazing to think that one guy can make enough money to buy his own private island.”
He sat down next to her. “I’ve worked hard all my life. Not once have I cashed a welfare check from the government.”
“Not everyone can be as lucky as you.”
“Well, in this world you make your own luck, or you go under, and the harder I work, the luckier I become, if you get my meaning.”
She did.
Her feelings for the beautiful man sitting beside her were ambiguous and confused at best. Kendall still had trouble coming to terms with the idea that he was using her simply for sex—sex without any love or emotional attachment. But paradoxically, she adored the attention he gave her. Mac made her feel like a woman—a passionate woman with sexual needs and wants of her own.
She had that same strange mixture of feelings when it came to his business and work ethics, too. Mac didn’t seem to have a lot of compassion for those who hadn’t made it in life like he had. He seemed unable or unwilling to grasp that not everybody was as strong and confident as him. However, she couldn’t help but admire and respect the way he’d come from nothing, to build up a business empire that was worth billions today. That was the thing about incredibly powerful men like Mac. Despite their obvious character flaws, their indomitable attitude to life, and all that entailed, made them sexy as hell to women.
“See the door over there, honey.”
Her eyes followed the direction of his outstretched finger. “Yes.”
“You’ve got your own room.”
“I see.”
“It comes with every convenience, including a wet room.” He paused momentarily for effect before leaning across and whispering in her ear. “A wet room big enough for two.”
The way he spoke, Kendall was left in no doubt that he would take full advantage of all the amenities his house offered, and she briefly imagined his huge cock buried deep inside her pussy or ass as a torrent of warm water cascaded over their naked entwined bodies.
Mmm, good thought, Kendall.
In fact, it was such a good thought, she had trouble dragging her attention back to the here and now. The way he stared directly into her eyes almost made her believe he could read her thoughts.
“I may demand you come to my bedroom.”
“I see.” The thought wasn’t without appeal.
“Or I may come to you, and take possession of what rightfully belongs to me.”
“I see,” she said again. Kendall figured he meant every word. She already knew Mac Buchanan wasn’t a guy to make empty threats, or promises.
Feeling the sexual tension between them mounting by the second, seemingly arcing from her body to his, and then back again, she stood abruptly from the comfortable chair. “Right, I guess I’ll take that shower, and then have a rest, just as you suggested.”
Despite his best efforts to hide it, she saw he was tired, too, and she watched him stretch out in the chair, linking his hands behind his head. His sexy all-knowing eyes traveled from her head to her toes and then back again one final time.
“Yeah, you do that, honey, and I’ll see you first thing in the morning.”
Mac had given her the first glimpse of a different side to his character. She already knew he possessed courage, resilience, and an indomitable spirit, but now he also displayed compassion, and genuine concern for her welfare, too. She’d thought their ten days together would consist of simply sex without commitment or love, but maybe, just maybe, Mac had a warmer, more caring side to his personality that was starting to emerge.
Chapter Seven
Mac had been tired, too, although being a man, he’d done his darndest not to let it show. The wonderful explosive sex he’d shared with Kendall in his office, followed by flying time in both his Learjet and helicopter, had tested even his stamina and endurance, and he’d fallen into bed barely twenty minutes after she’d retired for the night. Tired he may have been, but with sexual thoughts of Kendall racing through his mind, he’d tossed and turned for what seemed an eternity before giving up on a goodnight’s sleep and making his way outside.
Now at 2:15 a.m., wearing just a pair of boxers because of the heat, he relaxed in a comfortable recliner hidden in the shadows under the covered lanai, enjoying the stillness of the early hours, with only the gently shimmering lights from the swimming pool to keep him company.
Kendall was an enigma. He still felt there were things he didn’t know about the theft from his company, and every time he looked into those china-blue eyes, he felt there was more to come, more she wanted to say but for some unknown reason was unable or unwilling to right now.