Burning Up (4 page)

Rolling over, I faced him and he brushed my cheek with his thumb gently.

“Morning,” I whispered.

He smiled as he snaked his arm around my waist beneath the covers.

“Good morning, my lady.”

“So, what are we doing today? Tennis? A movie? Maybe some sightseeing?” I said with hope.

He winced.

“Oh, sorry
, baby. I forgot about our sightseeing today. I have to go to the office.”

I frowned. Jared had promised to take me to all the landmarks and notable places to visit in New York. And though I had already been to some beautiful hotels, ballrooms, gardens
, and apartments for socials, I was desperate to explore the city.

“Jared, you promised. I’ve been here for four weeks and we haven’t been to a single show or visited any of the places on my list.”

He gave me a puzzled look. “List?”

I nodded. “Yes.
List
. I have one you know. A list of all the places I want to visit and things I want to see.”

He chuckled a little and it irritated me. I wasn’t trying to be funny.

“Such as?”

I sighed heavily. “Well, for a start, there’s the Statue Of Liberty. Then
there is, The Empire State Building, Central Park, the Natural History Museum, and Broadway. I want to see it all. As for places, Italy, France, Spain, Russia, Australia, China …”

I began listing countries as he stared at me blankly.

“Quite a pair we make.”

What?

“Huh?”

He chuckled. “I used to be like you. I was so desperate to travel. I had the world’s itchiest feet. Putting down roots wasn’t in my dream. I wanted to see the world and everything it had to offer. But, things change and you have to go with the flow. I’ll take you to all of those places one day. But today
…”

He kissed my forehead.

“… I have to work. I
am
sorry, Layla. I promise I’ll make it up to you. Why don’t you spend the day taking in some rays? The weather forecast says it’ll be a fine day, and the balcony is a perfect little sun trap.”

He sat up and swung his feet onto the floor. Stretching out, he groaned and moaned deeply. My insides clenched.
Oh good lord of all that is hot and sexy. Save me from this man and my insatiable lust for him!
His shorts moved lower with his stretching. Deep dimples were peeking out at the small of his back and I made a small whimpering sound as I gazed at his beautiful physique. Jared Garrett was nothing short of a caramel colored god!

He turned and grinned at me. “Admiring the view.”

I flushed. “Always.”

He crawled across the bed and took my hands in his
, gripping me tightly. Lifting them quickly above my head, he pressed his lips to mine firmly for a delicious morning kiss.

“You know, if you would loosen up on your damn rules, we could be rolling around on this bed and making noises you only hear in the wild.”

I smiled and wrapped my legs around his waist, forcing him to lie on top of me. “Well, Mr. Garrett, since you so desperately have to go to work, I guess any rule breaking will have to be put on hold. It’s a shame, because I was feeling very naughty, too.” He shook his head and tutted at me, smiling broadly.

“Teasing will only make this worse for you when the time comes. You realize that I’m keeping score
, don’t you?”

I giggled and rolled my eyes. “Oh, really? Well, how many points do I lose for this?”

Wriggling it free from his grasp, I slid my hand down his chest, pushing my way to the waistband of his sweats. My fingers played gently around the firm and defined curves of his deep V lines. I could feel his whole body tense on top of me.

“Dangerous territory, Layla. I don’t have the patience for a game right now. I’ve been tormented and tortured by your hot, tight, little body for weeks and one more move from you, I’m going to not only break the rules, I’m going to break you in half doing it.”

He gave me a serious, hard stare, and I could almost hear my heart pounding beneath our compressed chests. I gulped and took a deep breath trying to keep my composure, but he saw through me. A smile played gently on his lips. “That’s what I thought.”

Cocky
. Deciding I wasn’t so easily beaten, I thrust my hand into his pants and grasped him tightly. He took in a sharp breath and grunted deep in his throat. “Last chance, Layla.” He was practically purring the words at me as I continued to grasp my fingers snugly around him. He groaned as I tightened my grasp and moved my hand slowly up and down the firm and thick length of him.

Seizing my wrist, he growled in frustration. “I have a meeting in two hours. You have no idea how much I want to play with you right now. You’re driving me crazy with your teasing, Layla. I warned you to behave
, and you decided to tempt me. Seems only right I get to do the same.”

I stared back at him, holding my nerve even if my insides were currently swirling like a tornado. Anxiety, lust
, and intense excitement flooded my body. Running the tip of his nose the length of mine, he grinned. “I’m going to make you want me so much that it hurts.”

Uh oh. You just had to provoke him.

Leaning over me, he grabbed his black leather belt from the floor. Clutching my wrist tightly, he lifted it above my head to meet the other and wrapped the belt around them. I wriggled and writhed trying desperately to get loose. The thought of being completely unable to roam my hands all over his delicious body was torturous. Pinning me down with his weight, he shook his head.

“Keep still or that belt will leave a mark. I don’t want these delicate little wrists all red and sore.” Lifting them to his luscious lips, he placed a gentle kiss on each and smiled.

His body stretched over mine and his eyes had darkened from blissful sky blue to a deep shade of cobalt. Those eyes always sent a shiver of excitement through me. The dark and sparkling blue was an instant aphrodisiac. Jared’s eyes were beguiling. Still holding my wrists gently, he kissed me fervently and with a carnal hunger. His teeth sank gently into my bottom lip and I moaned. Working his way down slowly, he trailed soft kisses over my jaw before licking and caressing my collarbone. The sweet sensation of his lips on my skin sent ripples of pleasure through my body. It really had been far too long since I’d felt the wonderful effects of Jared’s teasing and loving touch. His tongue slid provocatively over the curves of my breasts, and I instinctively arched my back.

I’d gotten into the habit of sleeping topless when with Jared.
It was partly for comfort and partly because I knew it was driving him insane having me so bare and yet so unobtainable.

I hissed a breath as his teeth nipped softly on my nipple. Catching it between them, he rolled his tongue over it sending a shock wave of erotic need through me. Lustful desire and desperate wanting were taking control of my body. I clenched, hard and tried to squeeze my thighs together. The sweet friction giving me a momentary reprieve from his agonizing teasing was wonderful. But it was over far too quickly.

Sliding his hands down my body, he caught my knees and thrust them further apart, pinning me to the bed. I whimpered as his mouth moved south across my stomach to my belly button. The tip of his skillful tongue dipped into my bellybutton and I gasped. It was sensual, gratifyingly intimate, and was sending my senses into a frenzy.

My hands bound above my head, I lowered them and clasped his beautiful, golden brown hair between my fingers. His head snapped up and he shook it at me in a definitive ‘no
.’ I pouted and groaned at the injustice. Raising himself up onto his elbows, he hovered over me. His lips grazed my ear as he spoke gently yet authoritively to me. 

“Keep still. You’re already losing points rapidly and if you continue to break the game rules, you’ll have to pay the penalty.” I didn’t care. I had a feeling that whatever that penalty was, I definitely wanted it.

Staring into his eyes, I slid my hands down his face to cup his cheeks and flirtatiously ran my thumb over his bottom lip.

His eyes burned into me as he caught my thumb in his mouth and bit down on it harshly, before soothingly kissing the pain away. I smiled and blew him a kiss
that earned me a raised brow and tutting.

“I warned you.” He had a menacing but gleeful look in his eye and a mischievous grin
that gave me the impression that I was going to be reprimanded in the most satisfying way. Gripping my hips, he flipped me over and tore my panties away from me. I gasped at the forcefulness of the movement. Quickly and with amazing skill, he adjusted the belt around my wrists so that I was now fastened to the iron bedpost. His chest pressed against my back and I felt him smile against my skin as he placed a tiny kiss behind my ear.

“So far, this morning you have lost five points, Layla.”

I turned my head and gave him a bemused look. What had I done to lose five in the space of thirty minutes?

His hands were still firmly
pressed on my hips and with a forceful tug; he lifted them up, causing my chest and face to press further into the bed. My arms stretched out and pulled against the restraints on my wrists. His thumbs rubbed my bare behind and his hands glided over my thighs. “Coffee. Anytime. Understood?”

Our safe word. Oh good God
. I nodded in response. He placed a kiss on the right cheek of my ass before sinking his teeth into it. I yelped at the surprise. It wasn’t painful; it was hot and fueled my arousal like gas on an already smoldering fire, but it
had
caught me by surprise. His palm rubbed my cool flesh attentively before pinching my skin sharply. Removing his hand and ceasing his loving touch, he swung it back and as he held it in the air, he caught my eye. The corner of his mouth curled up and he bit his bottom lip seductively. He was beyond aroused. He was in a state of total bliss.

I watched, completely in awe of him as his palm slammed into my flesh. The sting was instant and my body jolted forward making me cry out.

“Fuck!”

He caressed the sore, warm area on my behind
, and kissed it gently.

“One. For coming to bed topless to tease and tempt me.”

I had just caught my breath when another fierce slap hit my behind. I bit my lip, trying desperately to stop myself from yelling. I grunted as the force of his hand shook me again.

“Two. For your taunting and efforts to entice me into breaking rules.”

I braced myself for the third spank and as it landed, I whimpered. My behind was beginning to get sore, but I could take this. I knew I could. I wanted and needed it. The loud crack of skin against skin, echoed around the room.

“Three. For manhandling me even after I warned you to behave.”

Okay, I deserved that one. I would have spanked the shit out of me for that too, and that wouldn’t be the only thing. I would have done much more. I had a feeling that a spanking wasn’t all Jared had in store for
me
either.

The fourth strike was a little harsher and my skin was beginning to burn from the repeated spankings. I was sure I was red raw by now but there was only one more to go. Besides, Jared was enjoying it and seeing the pleasure he was getting written all over his face, was sending a thrill through me. Every part of my body was aching for him and it had come to rest as a deep throbbing between my legs. I pressed my thighs together in the hopes of some sweet friction to grant me some relief. Once again, my efforts were thwarted by my lover. Sliding forward, he placed his hands on the front of my thighs and pulled them apart. My knees slid across the bed in opposite directions as he continued to grip them tightly.

“The fourth was for breaking the ‘no touching when bound’ rule, but I think it should also be for impatience. You will get relief when I believe you deserve it.”

I pulled on my restraints and grunted in frustration
.
He chuckled and trailed soft kisses up my thigh as his hands roamed over my behind and hips.

“One more, Layla. And this one, is for making me play this agonizing and tormenting game for the last four weeks.”

I smiled and stifled a laugh.
My poor hot mess of a man
. His hand made a whooshing sound as it swooped through the air and slammed onto my behind. I cried out and gasped for air. Turning my head to see him, our eyes met. He was panting and his solid, hard cock was pushing his sweatpants to the point that I thought they might tear.

Leaning forward and never breaking eye contact, he kissed my sore and broken behind. I moaned as his tongue soothed the hurt away and my hips swayed as his fingertips traced over them.

“Every inch of you, inside and out, belongs to me, Layla. It’s mine. These hips, this ass … mine.” I whimpered and closed my eyes, savoring every tiny caress of his lips, fingers and tongue on my body. “I won’t be denied what’s mine. I’ve been a very patient man, but I can’t and won’t wait any longer. I need to feel, see, and taste every last part of you before I go insane.” Moving slowly down and over my behind, he pushed his tongue through my thoroughly spanked cheeks. I gasped and immediately pulled away but he caught me around the waist and held me in place.