Bartered (2 page)

Chapter 3

Hugo

At exactly midnight, she entered my bedroom, joining Sherry and Chantel just as I had requested of them. Both of my women were beautiful, but there was something about Isobel that stirred a far more formidable reaction within me. Possibly it could be due to the mere fact that didn’t come to me as a willing woman. She was desperate to fix her father’s crucial problem; consequently she had to sacrifice herself like a lamb to be at my disposal.

Be
that as it may, though my principles protested, there was something about the thought of having a reluctant woman forcing herself to open up to a man she barely knew because of an obligation. It was twisted at its best, but the appeal fired my nearing boredom of my usual tastes.

Apart from her beauty, Isobel was different. My cock was certain of it.

I liked aggressive, sensual women, and she was plainly the opposite of that. She had a way about her that gave away the veil of innocence even though she masked it as much as she could. The animal in me wanted to strip it bare—literally and figuratively—and lavish on her unmarred innocence. I felt compelled, driven to be the very man to unleash her into a world full of sensuality, rutting into unparalleled mating.

Staring lustily at her beauty,
I saw she had changed her clothes into a demure, black dress while Sherry and Chantel both wore silk robes, ready at a snap of my fingers.

“Mon
chéri,”
Sherry rasped out as she brazenly strode across the room, bridging the gap before us while the other two stayed back, waiting… watching. My beautiful, blonde, seductive woman gave me a whisper soft kiss before she slowly started to take my clothes off, starting with my silk tie. “We’re here to make you feel better.”

My cock alarmingly didn’t salute to her soft caresses. Sherry was my main lover. She’d been with me for about five years
, and in those years never had this ever happened to me. My cock worshipped her, yet tonight, her voice and her soft touch didn’t feel enough.

My hunger was thriving for more…

For Isobel.

However,
I had made the promise earlier that I wouldn’t do anything to her. I meant to keep the vow even though I’d end up blue and frustrated. A man of my word was what I was known for, but tonight, my passionate nature tempted to overrule my senses.

Needing more of
a distraction before my mind wandered off to the inevitable, I snapped my hard gaze towards my other lover. One look was enough command to have her coming to her heels, naked in a blink of an eye as she abandoned her robe without thought.

“Mon Roi.”
(My King.) She seductively smiled at me then got on her knees and slid the rest of my clothing off my body before I felt Sherry’s lips on the back of my neck, breasts pressing against the expanse of my back as her nails dug into the skin of my buttocks.

Across the room, I heard
Isobel’s sharp intake of breath just as Chantel’s mouth met the head of my shaft.

Glancing towards her, she had both of her arms wrapped around her stomach as she bit her bottom lip, looking like she
’d been caught stealing something valuable. Our gazes clashed and the turmoil of emotions in her face awakened the beast in me. I wanted to comfort and hurt, provide pain and pleasure, anger and delight. The wave of feelings awash over me, leaving me strained and confused, but most of all, raging with a fire so fierce the woman with enchanting eyes could alone stoke it brighter.

Eyes locked together, I was held mesmerized as I felt both Chantel and Sherry suc
king my cock, softly, gently—
hungrily.

Each second that ticked by without her breaking contact, the harder I got.
Though the ladies’ ministrations were excellent, it was the woman across from me—the air of reluctance she portrayed and the avid curiosity—that got me going. Moreover, when I let out a deep, pleasing groan and she dared break contact, the savage beast in me emerged, needing to come out and play.

“Ladies, I need to speak with Isobel,” I spoke softly yet succinctly. Without glancing at my lovers, I knew my cutting command confused them
, yet I didn’t have the luxury of time to explain anything. Besides, I never explained anything to anyone. These were part of the rules in being my kept woman. I showered them with all the beautiful things life had to offer, and in turn, they gave me gratitude.

From my peripheral vision, both women quietly gathered their robes and slipped out of the room until it was just the two of us left. She still looked aghast and frazzled. I r
emained boldly naked—and harder than I had ever been in my thirty-four years of manhood.

Giving her enough time to breathe and get used to the idea we were alone before d
eciding to close the gap between us, I languidly strode towards her while her eyes fought the need to glance towards my emboldened member, charging with purpose. Once I reached her, my hunger tripled.

“Good evening, Isobel,” I greeted as calmly as I could, mismatching the storm raging wit
hin.

Her brow furrowed, nervous and unsure of herself. “Hello, Mr. Xavier,” she meekly said, meeting my dark depths.

“Hugo,” I corrected her. “Let me hear you say my name.”

She nervously licked her lips before whispering my name. “Hugo.” The sound made me groan with pleasure as I felt a small bead seep out of the head of my shaft.

Her eyes dropped towards my raging manhood as I noted the emotions that flittered across her beautifully delicate face.

“Frightened of what it could do to you?” My control was slipping as I tried to portray the unaffected man before her, yet my member gave me away, seeming beyond enraged. Wanting to progress further, I went on with one purpose. “Touch it
. It’s been waiting to make your acquaintance.”

Shimmering eyes focused on me, baffled and questioning. “I thought you said you weren’t planning on doing anything with me tonight.”

Her vulnerability made me feel amazingly powerful. “And I will keep to my word, but I never said anything about
you
not doing anything to me, ma chéri.”

“Oh—
well…
uh… what did…
you want?
” she stuttered her words out before licking her lips and clashing those tantalizing orbs at me.

What did I want? Whatever she was reluctant to give,
my mind automatically said as I looked down at her, wondering how her hand would feel against my skin. “Touch me, Isobel.”

Her fingers shook as she bit down on her lip before giving me
a tortured face, thus making me ache further for her touch. I let out a harsh breath when she made contact. She brushed her finger on the tip as she stared at my cock with fascination twinkling in her eyes. This woman hadn’t done much, however her mere here-and-there touches almost made me combust inside. Her vulnerability, reluctance, and curiosity made a heady, potent concoction for me, and I simply couldn’t get enough. I wanted more…

“Make me come in your hands, ma belle.”

She swallowed whatever saliva she had before she gripped my length firmer, harder as she began her ministrations.

“Grip the base and focus on the head.”

She did as I asked her before I gradually started to thrust my hips into her palms, shutting my lids close as I focused all of my senses on one part of my anatomy, basking on her sensual hands and fingers. Lust veiled my sight as I opened them to watch her work me well, and by God, what a sight she was.

“Look at me
. Give me those beautiful eyes, ma belle. I want to stare at them while you stroke my cock. I want to see your soul while you make me come in your hands.”

The sexy
, shy kitten did as I requested, stroking the deep, sensual furnace within my body before it escalated to its peak and erupted beautifully, magnificently in her hands.

Chapter 4

Hugo

After watching her perform on me, following as I asked her what to do, sure was enough for me to decide what to do next. Though I admit, her looks alone already gave her a ninety-nine percent guarantee of approval.

Half an hour later, I called on Benoît for the contracts before I strode into the adjoining bathroom to clean up. She did the same, blushing as she requested if she could clean up as well before Benoît got there.

Casually nodding before I watched her sprint towards the bathroom, I strode towards the end of the coffee table in the corner room to have a shot of my favored “M” whiskey. This was a li
mited production, and its rarity made it all the more compelling to acquire. Every drop was exceptional, just like the woman who had temporarily fled into the bathroom.

The soft knock made me glance towards the door. “Oui?”

“Here’s what you requested, Monsieur.” Benoît strode into the room before setting down the folder atop the marbled antique table. He made a quick glance towards the bathroom before giving me a curt nod.

“Merci beaucoup, Benoît,” I murmured as I wondered what he thought about
the deal I had with Constantin Callas. It wasn’t anyone’s business, but Benoît had been with me for over a decade, and I didn’t just see him as someone I employed. Through the years, a bond had formed, and I considered him a friend.

Alas, there was another problem I needed him to handle. “In regards to Dana, will you please do the necessary steps and send me a video during the interrogation. I wish to
no longer see her.”

He gave me a knowing look before clearing his throat. “As you wish. I’ll take care of it in the morning.
”

“
C’est parfait.” (Sounds perfect.)

“Bonsoir, Monsieur Xavier.”

I nodded, bidding him the same.

The soft creak of the opening bathroom door made me aware she was coming out
, but I didn’t glance up to watch her move and sway her hips as she walked. Instead, I threw my head back and emptied the contents of the glass in my hand before helping myself to another dose of the amber contents that didn’t seem to lessen the burn doing a maelstrom in my groin. I needed a moment to gather my thoughts without looking at her and devouring her on the spot.

Her touch had merely whet my appetite and I wanted more—so much more.
The second she signed the contract, the better.

Still not looking at her, I addressed the envelope that sat on the table. “The co
ntract is ready. Go over the details, and if you have other demands, let me know so we can negotiate before a new one can be drawn up first thing tomorrow.”

“Okay,” she murmured softly before I heard her take a seat and
go through the sheets of papers enclosed.

All this time, I had been taking one shot after the other, breathing in calmness, bidding
my time so I wouldn’t have such an evident hard-on before I decided to face her.

After a moment or two
of thinking I had cooled off a bit, I spun around and my eyes immediately darted towards the view of her back. I noted how delicate her neck was then paused a moment, frowning.
Merde!
Since when did I care or notice a woman’s neck, delicate or not? Hissing at myself, I gave her a moment or two as she scanned the contract.

Denying myself from going through the pleasures I was accustomed to
had been a mistake because it had boggled my mind. I was noticing things that usually didn’t heighten my libido. First thing tomorrow, I would need Chantel to come to me before I showered to do some laborious working out.

Problem solved, I was in
a much better mood.

“Have you skimmed through it?” I casually asked as I took the sofa opposing her, needing to see her face and what she thought of it. I had a knack
for reading people’s minds before they voiced their opinions. Isobel wasn’t any different.

“Yes.” Her eyes
remained on the pages, flickering through the words, absorbing the details.

“Do you find it agreeable?

She shook her head, looking frustrated. “I will have to take a semester off school since it says six months here.” She released a breath. “Summer break is only three months.”

Merde. How old was she? How come I forgot to ask her this one vital question? She couldn’t be eighteen
,could she
?
I
mbécile!
(Moron.) How did this slip my mind?
Because your cock twitched and it was all you could think about then,
my mind immediately supplied the answer. So much for fair thinking…

Looking at her in the eye, I prayed she wasn’t that young. “How old are you, Isobel?”

“I’m twenty-three. It’s my final year before I graduate…”

Thank goodness she wasn’t as young as I
’d feared.

“Where do you study?”

“In England, but my home is Athens. I was here to visit my father for a week because my mother asked it of me.”

So Callas was here vacationing his summer in Monaco to gamble away while his family was back home in Athens?
What a remarkable man,
I thought sourly. My own father could be cruel in his own right, but he never once abandoned me for his own pleasures, even after my mother died a few years after giving birth to me. Eli Xavier was tough, but even with his hard exterior I never once questioned his love or intentions.

Flickering my gaze back to the beguiling woman, I knew I wouldn’t want any
more than the six months offered. Besides, the old man Callas needed to be taught a lesson. I’d have to make sure he was banned in all the casinos in Monaco and France. If he wanted to gamble, he’d have to go elsewhere.

“The agreement is for six months, ma belle. That’s up to you if you want to sign it or not.”

She gave me a seething look before breaking away. “You
know
I don’t have a choice.”

I did
, and I had to capitalize on it because there was something about her I wanted to taste. She looked too delectable—supple and ripe—and the thought of roughening her up a little with disheveled hair, bruised lips from kisses, and raw, throbbing lips from my passions… What decent man with standards wouldn’t be tempted to make an exception?

This was the main problem with us. Place sex, beauty
, and innocence in an equation, and men would have a hard time looking away; would have a tough time fighting their own animal urges to dominate and mark the very woman who had their engines revved up like no other.

I was the very same man
. Even though I had always vowed not to play in this sort of field, a lot of men in my world took part in it. It had always amused me, but it had never come to a point where I had wanted to actually see and sample it myself. Beauty like hers didn’t come often, however.

Alors
. I was here and I fully intended to enjoy it as much as I could.

“Hugo?” Her soft voice with my name on her lips almost made me groan in fru
stration.

“Oui, ma belle?”

“You said I could negotiate terms… I have a few of my own…”

This certainly got my full
, undivided attention as I wondered what she’d negotiate with me. “Go on?”

She took a deep breath and exhaled as loudly as she
’d inhaled, as if she was preparing to say something she knew would displease me. “My stipulations are… well… uh… I don’t want vaginal sex, even if there’s protection. It’s non-negotiable.”

I waited a beat or two, hoping she meant it
as a joke. But when her face remained the same, I instantly blew up. “
Mon dieu!
What’s the point of all of this then? I want you in my bed, and I won’t have it any other way!” What man would agree to such an atrocious deal?

My outburst didn’t seem to bother her as she slowly stood up to face my enraged state. “I will be in your bed—be your third woman—never question that
. And we’ll be having sex, but not there…”

I froze, eyeing her as if she had grown horns
on her head. “Come again? I think I misheard you.”

“You didn’t. You heard me fine.”

Taking a few steps to meet her, I gave enough distance because I didn’t trust myself to be this close to her and not dump her in bed, open her legs, and plow into her supple body. “You don’t want vaginal, but
anal
you’re okay with?” What madness was this? Besides, what kind of woman would agree to such an arrangement? “May I ask why?”

She didn’t blink before giving me an answer. “Everything is personal…
except for that.”

Isobel was young
, maybe her understanding in what was personal and what wasn’t had been muddled by her ex-lovers?

“Ma belle, you might confuse the two
, but trust me when I tell you that anal is personal; probably more personal than anything. Virginity is a rarity these day, but anal virginity isn’t something a woman casually gives to any man they come across—it’s for the man they love or trust. I am neither of those in your life.”

“Not to me
. I find the other way much more sacred, and I only share that with someone I love. I hope this doesn’t offend you, Hugo, but I’m trying very hard here to meet your needs as well as my own.”

She was honest; I’d give her that. This certainly placed a strain on my plans. “Very well. If you insist.” I was getting half of what I
’d hoped; however it wasn’t all lost. “You said you wanted a few. What are the others?”

“I want my own bedroom.”

Sleeping with my lovers wasn’t a thing I was accustomed to. She’d know soon enough. “It’s already waiting for you, ma belle. What else?”

“If there’s an emergency that would need me to go home, I’d like it if you
wouldn’t hinder that right for me.”

Family was important. It was one thing my father
had instilled in me. I respected that. “Without question, family comes first.” I nodded in agreement. “Anything else?”

“That was all I needed, Hugo.”

“Very well. I will have these alterations drawn up tomorrow. It should be ready at nine thirty in the morning and should be in time for breakfast. I’ll see you then, Isobel.”

Blushing
, she gave me a small, encouraging smile. “Thank you for giving me a chance,” she murmured before leaving me to watch after her exit of my bedroom.

If I was confused before, I was more confused after that odd sentiment. She said thank you—she was giving me her body
, yet
she said thank you!

Merde.