Relentless (5 page)
She knew she was gorgeous, that any man would give his right arm to make love to her, and she was using that knowledge to try and gain the upper hand with him. He had never, would never, surrender to a woman. If she thought she was going to break him, it was time to teach her a valuable lesson about playing to win.
He reached for the necktie he’d discarded earlier.
Her eyes darted to the scrap of silk. “What’re you gonna do with that?”
He grinned, watching the rise and fall of her full breasts as she drew shallow breaths. “A naughty girl like you has never experimented with bondage? I find that hard to believe, darlin’.”
“I like to be in control,” she said quietly. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with…” Her words ceased when he fastened her wrists together, applying just enough pressure to secure the bond.
He attached the other end to the bedpost and looked down at her. She was so beautiful it took his breath away. He had been with dozens of attractive women over the years, but there was something elusive about her that stirred his protective instincts.
“You have to trust me,” he whispered, kissing her lips gently. “I promise I’d never do anything to hurt you.”
She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, a nervous gesture that made him smile. She wasn’t as experienced with the opposite sex as she would have him believe. He knew it was naïve to think she’d be pure at twenty-three, but he wanted to be the man to introduce her to experiences beyond her wildest fantasies.
He straddled her, tracing a fingertip down her cheek. “How many lovers have you had, Nik?”
She frowned. “Enough.”
He leaned over, bracing a forearm on either side of her head. “You can tell me,” he said, kissing her lips gently. “I won’t judge you.” He nuzzled her neck, licking the shell of her ear. He smiled with satisfaction when he felt a shudder move through her body. “Tell me, sweetness.”
“A few,” she whispered.
“This is the first time you’ve been tied up?”
She nodded.
He rolled off her, tucking his body in beside her. “It’s okay, we’re gonna take this nice and slow.” He ran a calloused palm down her taut abdomen, watching her squirm beneath his gentle touch. “There are so many things I want to do with you, show you, but if you’re not comfortable with anything, I don’t want you to be afraid to tell me, okay?”
She nodded, watching his hand travel lower.
He bypassed her sex, sliding his hand over her hip and down her outer thigh. “Have you ever been with more than one man at a time?”
Her eyes widened. “No, is that what you want, a threesome?”
He shook his head. “No.” He wasn’t a stranger to a ménage, but he didn’t want that with her. He wanted her all to himself.
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, okay. It’s not that I’ve never thought about it, but…”
He didn’t want to think about it, not with her. “I want to push you outside of your comfort zone, but I don’t want you to do anything that scares you, okay?”
She nodded. “Okay,” she whispered.
“Tell me about your other lovers.” He didn’t want to imagine another man pleasuring her, but he wouldn’t know how far she’d be willing to go until he found out whether she’d crossed over to the darker side of love making.
“I like a rough touch,” she said quietly, avoiding his gaze.
He slid his index finger under her chin, tipping her face toward him. “You don’t have to be embarrassed with me, sweetheart. I can give you whatever you need. I can be as rough or gentle as you need me to be.”
“Why are we having this conversation?” she asked, looking him in the eye. “You said yourself this is a one-time deal. That’s what we both want. Can’t we just have sex and get on with our lives?”
It would be too easy for her to forget about this night if he were just like her other lovers, worrying only about his needs. He wanted this night to be special for her, memorable. When she thought about the most amazing night of her life, he wanted to be the man she remembered. “I’ve wanted you for a long time,” he said, surprised by his willingness to open up to her. “When I first met you, you were too damn young, but that didn’t stop me from having some wicked fantasies about you.”
She smiled, looking skeptical. “Really?”
“Yeah.” He closed his eyes, reliving some of the most erotic fantasies he’d ever had, courtesy of the woman in his arms. “When your music came out and I saw your video for the first time, it was…” His voice trailed off. He didn’t want her to think he was some obsessed fan.
“I’ve thought about you too,” she said, quietly. “A lot. When I’m making love to Jake, I’ve imagined it’s you.”
Possessiveness gripped him in a tight fist. “Who the hell is Jake?”
She smiled, reaching up to kiss his coarse jaw. “My personal trainer. He’s just a friend, with bennies.”
He was falling for this girl, hard, fast. He wanted to tell her to find a new personal trainer, but he knew he’d be overstepping his bounds if he tried to modify the rules of their agreement now. He would just have to drive all thoughts of any other man out of her head tonight. “You see him a few times a week?”
“Five days a week.” She winked. “He’s a real slave driver.”
He clenched his fist at his side. “How often do you have sex with him?”
A pretty blush moved up her neck, staining her cheeks. “That’s none of your business.”
He knew she was right, but that wouldn’t stop him from paying Jake a little visit when they got home. “Is there anyone else in your life right now?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m a workaholic. I eat, sleep, and breathe my music.” She turned her head to face him, resting her cheek on the pillow. “How about you? Do you have a girlfriend?”
“No.” Though he was thinking of changing his status, to hell with what Luc and Ty thought.
“That’s good.” She kissed him. “I wouldn’t want to mess with another woman’s man.”
He didn’t have the same reservations. Even if she did have a boyfriend, he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to make love to her. That’s not a line he had ever been tempted to cross in the past, but with her, rules didn’t apply. “No worries.” He skimmed his hand over her breast, rolling her pebbled nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Her sharp intake of breath told him she was aroused, ready to take this to the next level. “Are you okay?” he asked, peppering kisses along her jawline. “Your wrists don’t hurt?” He had never thought to ask that question before, but he wanted, needed, to take care of her.
“I’m good,” she whispered. “Just anxious. I need you, J.T. Please…”
He had always been able to set the pace with his lovers. He was always in control. With her, he felt like control was just an illusion. His need for her was merciless and demanding. It felt like some outside force had taken over and was intent on rewriting the rules and dictating every step on their path to their mutual satisfaction.
He lowered his head, marking her neck with deep, moist kisses.
“Oh God, that feels good,” she whispered, writhing against her restraints. “Hmmm, right there, that spot makes me crazy.”
He nibbled the tender area, biting and sucking before relieving the bite of pain with his tongue. He had the uncontrollable urge to mark her, brand her as his. He’d never been a jealous, possessive lover, never wanted more than one or two nights before he moved on, but with her, the thought of another lover left him unfulfilled.
She shook her head when he drew her skin deep into his mouth. “Be careful. I have an interview and photo shoot tomorrow.”
He didn’t want to be careful; he wanted to be reckless. He wanted to obliterate all thoughts from her head… her demanding career, hectic schedule, other men. “Relax, sweetheart,” he whispered. “I know what I’m doing.”
She opened her eyes, looking directly at him. “I know what you’re doing too, McCall. I’m telling you now, it’s not gonna work.”
The statement took him aback, even more so by the depth of understanding behind those eyes, as though she had the power to strip him down and see into his soul. “What’re you talking about?”
“This is about more than sex. You’re thinking about reneging on our deal. You’d better think again.”
Frustration claimed his breath, stealing his objection. It wasn’t possible that the first and only woman he had ever wanted a relationship with didn’t want him. “What makes you think that?”
“I can see it in your eyes, cowboy. I know that look; I’ve seen it before.”
“What look is that?”
“Don’t play dumb. You’re going all soft on me.” Her heated gaze travelled the length of his body. “Not literally, of course.” She smiled. “You’re thinking about continuing this when we get home. Sorry, it’s not gonna happen.”
He ground his teeth. “Why the hell not? You can’t tell me you’re not attracted to me.”
She chuckled. “I’d have to be blind not to be attracted to you.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“The problem is my career. It’s the only thing that matters to me, the only thing that’s ever mattered. Having a man in my life, demanding his fair share of my time, would only get in the way of that. I can’t afford that kind of distraction right now.” Her eyes rested on his lips. “You said it yourself, I’m too young. Maybe in ten years, when I’ve made a name for myself…”
He reached up to free her hands. She was right; everything she said made perfect sense, which meant he couldn’t go through with this. He couldn’t make love to her and then let her leave as though it had never happened.
“What are you doing?” she asked, resting her hands on the pillow above her head. “I thought you wanted…”
“You’re right, Nik. You need to focus on your career right now. I’d just get in the way of that.”
She frowned, stroking his cheek. “It doesn’t have to be that way. Listen, we could have a great time together tonight. Maybe we could keep it casual when we get home. Whenever we’re both in town, we could hook up…”
He pressed his fingers against her lips, silencing her. “Darlin’, I don’t wanna be your hometown hook-up. I wanna be your man.”
She shook her head. “J.T., what you’re asking of me is more than I’m able to give. I’m sorry.”
He got up, reaching for her clothes. “So am I, baby.” He tossed the garments on the bed beside her. “Trust me, better now than later.”
J.T. gave up trying to focus on late night TV. Too restless to sleep, he dressed and headed down to the hotel bar. A couple of shots of whiskey might help put him to sleep. Better yet, the company of a beautiful woman might help take his mind off the one responsible for his bout with insomnia.
He walked into the dimly lit bar/restaurant, taking in the patrons still crowding the small tables, some couples and a few groups watching sports highlights on one of several screens.
This has gotta be a cosmic joke
, he thought when he heard the sound of her husky laughter filtering through the background noise. He turned around and saw her in a rear booth with a man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties. He was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, along with a cowboy hat and boots.
Not the usual garb for Vegas, which led him to believe he was there for the awards ceremony.
She looked up and their eyes locked for an instant before she turned her attention back to her date.
It irritated him to think she may be there to make good on her threat to pick up where they’d left off. After tearing his eyes away from the cozy couple, he made his way to the bar. Throwing his leg over a tall stool, he sat down and reached for the sweet and salty mixture in the glass bowl. Anything to prevent him from making a fool of himself by going over there to issue a warning that would have the poor kid running for cover.
“Hi there, what can I get you?” the bartender asked, wiping the counter surface with a damp rag.
A curvy brunette wearing a tight little black and white uniform might be just the thing to take his mind off his troubles.
He offered a grin that routinely had the desired effect on the opposite sex. “How ‘bout Jim Beam and keep ‘em comin’.” Unlike many of his cohorts, he wasn’t a big drinker. He had seen too many talented riders descend into oblivion at the bottom of a bottle. He was at the top of his game right now, the man to beat. He wasn’t going to let anything or anyone get the best of him.