Surrendering to Us (16 page)

Oh, this was going to be fun.

I waited in my office for the fateful meeting with Violet. I thought about calling Lucah, but what if she really just wanted to talk about work? Then I’d feel like an idiot.

So I waited and drank too much coffee, which only got me more worked up. Even Lilia came in and asked what was wrong and if she could do anything for me. I assured her I was fine, just stressed about a project getting done when it needed to be, and she pretended to buy it. I almost opened my mouth and spilled the whole thing to her, but that would have crossed some sort of boundary that I didn’t think I should cross with my assistant. I’d crossed too many with my last one.

I chewed nearly all the skin off my bottom lip and almost wore a hole through the floor because I kept tapping my heel over and over.

When Violet finally came and knocked on my door, I almost wanted to hug her in relief.

“Are you busy?” she said in a low voice, as if she was in a library. I was in the middle of something, but I’d been so busy waiting for her that I hadn’t gotten much done.

“No, no, come in.” She did and closed the door behind her. I saw Lilia’s puzzled face staring at us until the door finally shut and I was sealed in my office with Violet. Had she grown taller in the past few hours? Or had I just imagined her shorter? I motioned to the chair across from my desk and she sat down and crossed her insanely long legs.

“So, what can I do for you? Has anyone been giving you a hard time? Some of the uh, people, here can be a little . . . how do I want to put this . . . old-fashioned?” That was the nicest way to put it. I mentally crossed my fingers and hoped that was what she wanted to talk about.

“Oh, no. Everyone’s been so nice. Much nicer than I thought they would be. It’s been my experience that older men, in particular, are threatened by younger women being in power. Maybe some leftover instinct from the caveman days.” She smiled and I tried to fight it, but I smiled too. I knew exactly what she was talking about, and against my will, I started to like her.

“Exactly. Because we belong slaving over a hot fire and nursing babies while we wait for the big, strong men to bring home a half dead wildebeest.”

We both shared a quick laugh about that, but as soon as it died, the fear came back.

Violet inhaled through her nose and then stared right at me. Intimidating.

“I know about you and Lucah.” I opened my mouth to deny it, but she put her hand up. “No one told me, I figured it out based on the way he talked to you and how he looked at you. I know him pretty well.” I waited for a response to come to me, but I my words had deserted me.

“You don’t have to say anything, I just wanted to let you know that what we had was in high school. We were really young, and it was a long, long time ago. We were completely different people. Believe me.” I could understand that. I remembered the guys I’d been into in high school. I definitely wouldn’t be into them now. Definitely not. And look at my judgment with Fin. He’d turned out pretty damn sexy.

“I just didn’t want you to, I guess, feel threatened. I’m not going to go after him, or try to take him or make him relive the past. It’s over and done with and I would never do anything to jeopardize this job. So that’s all I wanted to say.” She got up and tried to flee, but I told her to wait.

“It’s okay. I never thought you were going to do that. I mean, I’d really like it if we could maybe be friends, since we’re sort of in the same boat here.” She paused with her hand on the doorknob.

“I’d like that, too. Thanks, Miss Clarke.”

“Call me Rory. Everyone else does.”

“Rory. Thanks.” I got another smile, and I gave her one back. I collapsed back in my chair as soon as the door clicked shut. That went as well as I could have expected. Now I just had to figure out how to work with her, and maybe be friends with her. I wasn’t going to fool myself into thinking that the Lucah thing wouldn’t come between us, or be an issue. It would. He would come up eventually, and then we’d have to deal with it. I just didn’t want to deal with it.

So I picked up the phone and called Lucah.

“Lucah Blythe, how can I help you?”

“It’s me,” I said.

His tone instantly changed. “What’s wrong?”

“I just, um, I just had a chat with Violet. She told me that she’s not going to try and break us up, or come between us, and that the past was in the past. So. I just wanted to let you know. That. And now I’m thinking this was a dumb idea to call you about this because it really isn’t anything and I’m just making something out of nothing, as usual. I’m sorry. You’re busy. We’ll talk at home.” I hung up before I could say anything else stupid.

He called back immediately.

“I’m never too busy for you, Sunshine. And I’m shocked that you were worried about Violet. Because in order for her to try and come between us, I would have to let her. And I would never let anyone come between us, do you understand me? I want to make this very clear, just in case it wasn’t.” His voice got low and insistent. “I love you, and nothing is going to change that. Not Violet, not any other woman. Because none of those other women is you. I. Love. You. You’re in every corner of my mind. I couldn’t let anyone else in, even if I wanted to. Okay? And if you don’t believe me, then I will show you tonight at the hotel where I intended to fuck you every which way you can be fucked, just to drive the point home. And then I’m going to fuck you again for good measure.”

Was it possible to orgasm just from words? Because I was pretty sure I just did. He hung up and I sat there, gaping at the phone.

When my brain finally started functioning again, I wanted to tell Lilia that I needed to not do anything for the rest of the day, because I just couldn’t. Not with the prospect of the coming night.

Instead, I got up and poured myself a glass of water that wasn’t cold enough and drank it down, hoping it would stem the fire that Lucah had ignited in my body. I’d JUST had sex with him a few hours ago, and here I was, ready to be fucked senseless again. Could you die from too much sex? Would your body just . . . give up? Decide it was done? Well, I guessed I was going to find out.

Somehow I managed to get through the rest of the day, and I had no more Violet sightings, but Dad did stop by my office to say that he was going out golfing, which I was pleased about.

“Are you feeling well? Your cheeks are flushed,” he said, and I put both hands on my face to hide it.

“I’m fine. Just a little warm.” He dismissed it and headed off and I drank another glass of cold water. It was the best substitute for a cold shower that I had on hand.

When it was finally time to leave, I wasn’t sure if my legs were going to be able to carry me to the elevator, but they did, and there he was. Waiting.

Keeping my distance from him was like fighting gravity.

“Miss Clarke.” He gave me a polite nod, but his eyes had a wicked twinkle in them. I hated how affected I must look while he was completely composed. But then I noticed he had his briefcase held in a strategic place. That almost made me laugh as we waited for the doors to open.

“Why don’t you let me take the briefcase for you?” I said, reaching for it.

“No! Thank you. I think I can manage it.” He moved away from me, and I was also rewarded by his face turning red, including his ears. So I wasn’t the only one who was excited about our evening of fuckery.

We didn’t get to touch each other because several people got on the elevator a few floors down. Lucah kept his briefcase held in front of him the entire ride, and he was breathing through his nose when we got off.

I waited for him, but he seemed to be fighting with something.

“Everything okay, Mr. Blythe?”

“Yes, Miss Clarke. Everything is fine.” He got off and shifted his briefcase and his pants were smooth. He seemed very pleased with himself.

“What did you think about?” I asked as we walked toward the front doors.

“Maggots. The Declaration of Independence. Nazis.” He winked at me and we finally exited the building. But instead of taking my hand like he always did, he just kept walking.

“You coming, Miss Clarke?” Well not right at the moment . . .

I walked to catch up with him.

“I think you will be. Very soon.”

We walked the rest of the way to the hotel with the space between us, and with every step my body screamed out for his, for a touch, a kiss, anything. I hoped he was having just as hard a time.

He wouldn’t touch me even when we got into the lobby of the hotel, or in the elevator. I tried to go for him, but he just kept moving away, and I wasn’t going to chase him.

“Not yet,” he said, putting up his hands as if I was holding a gun to his head. “Not yet.”

I glared, but kept my distance until the elevator dinged, and we were at the penthouse. My phone went off with a text from Sloane. I’d told her that Lucah and I had rented a room and she kept sending me lewd messages about it. I turned the ringer off and put it back in my purse as Lucah and I walked to the door and he unlocked it with the key card. FINALLY.

He jerked his head for me to enter the room and then he shut the door behind us. I expected him to attack me, but he didn’t. He just stood there, staring at me.

“Take off your clothes.” What? I waited a second. “Take. Off. Your. Clothes.” He set the briefcase down and took one step for every word. He wasn’t messing around. Lucah was commanding. And it was fucking HOT.

I started unbuttoning my shirt, and slipped my arms from the sleeves. My undershirt and bra followed and his eyes ate up every inch of skin that I revealed, as if it was the first time he was seeing it. Seeing me.

My skirt and panties joined my other clothes and I stepped out of my shoes until I was standing there. Naked. Waiting.

Lucah walked around me, as if he was admiring a work of art. The room was warm, but my skin kept puckering, waiting for his touch. Begging. Wanting.

He moved away from me and picked up his briefcase. I couldn’t imagine what he had in there, but he popped it open and pulled something out. Sticky notes. And a pen. He held them up so I could clearly see what they were. Then he came back over.

He leaned his head down and wrote something on one of the notes. He held it up for me to see. MINE, written in bold, slashing lines. He pulled the note from the rest of the stack and put it on my forehead.

“Mine,” he said, and wrote another note, and held that one up too. “Mine,” he said as he put it on my shoulder. “Mine.” The other shoulder. “Mine.” One breast. “Mine.” The other. Mine, mine, mine. Both hands, my belly. He repeated the routine until nearly every inch of me was covered in the notes, but it wasn’t like the last time.

“Have I made myself clear?” he said, dropping the pen and the leftover notes in the briefcase. I had to nod because I had a few on my mouth. Oh yes. He’d been clear.

“Good.” He stood in front of me and then removed the note on my forehead. “Mine,” he said, kissing the spot the note exposed. Like last time, but not. He removed each and every one, kissing each place. My shoulders, my hands, my nipples, my toes.

When he was done there were little yellow notes scattered everywhere, I could barely stand and his pants could barely contain his hard-on any longer. I reached for him, but he stopped me.

“No.” I almost pouted, but I was too turned on. He removed his own clothes and then we were both naked, and his intentions were clear.

“Go lie on your back on the bed.” I backed up toward the bedroom, through the door and lay back on the bed. He followed me, stalking me. I waited.

“Who am I here with?” he asked, standing at the edge of the bed.

“Me,” I said.

“Who do I love more than I’ve loved anyone or anything?”

“Me.”

“Who makes me feel like this?” His hands trailed up from my feet to my calves, thighs, hips, belly, breasts and to my face. “Who makes me feel like this?”

“Me,” I said, and he propped himself above me. I was so tight with need that I didn’t know if him touching me would make it better or worse.

“Never forget that, Sunshine. Never.” He pulled my legs up and got into position. “Never,” he said with one thrust that made stars explode behind my eyes and my entire body convulse.