Mistaken by Fate (8 page)

“I appreciate you, even if you abandoned me to my fate last night.”

“Hey, I already said I’d make it up to you—there will be cheesecake and wine involved.”

Ridley laughed. “Well, then, in that case, I may forgive you. Eventually.”

She hung up and looked around, finding the place mostly organized. At least her distraction had been good for something. She took a deep breath. Enough of this hang-up on Garrett. Maybe last night hadn’t gone as planned, but it didn’t change things. It was still the end between them. It had to be. She should go find herself a nice corporate man who would buy her flowers and take her on nice dates and…bore the living hell out of her.

…

Ridley stared at her fridge, so exhausted she couldn’t come up with a single thing that was worth the effort to cook. The day had been just as hellish as she’d expected, every hour passing slower and slower, until she’d finally given in and taken a nap on the loveseat.

Giving up on the idea of cooking, she opened her cabinet, praying for inspiration. There was only a lone box of Cap’n Crunch that she was pretty sure had been here when she moved in. “Take-out it is.” But first she needed a shower. Despite the one this morning, throughout the day she kept thinking she smelled Garrett on her skin. It was irritating and more than a little crazy, but she fully intended on correcting with a boatload of hot water and soap.

Sadly, if it was her mind playing tricks on her, there was no ready cure for that.

The buzzer rang, startling her. “What the hell?” Sara had shitty timing sometimes, but she’d already told her friend she didn’t need the emotional support tonight. She pushed the button. “Hello?”

“Hey, baby.”

She jerked back.
Garrett?
How had he gotten her address? Even as the thought crossed her mind, she came up with half a dozen answers—all of them leading back to various members of the Reaver family. Her apartment location wasn’t exactly a state secret. All it would have taken was one phone call and he’d have the information he wanted. “What are you doing here?”

“Let me up.”

Just that. No explanation. No excuses. Just Garrett showing up on her doorstep without a word of warning. She should tell him to go to hell, or at least remind him last night was supposed to be a one-time thing. Instead, she buzzed him in.

In the three minutes it took him to knock on her door, she’d already paced around her loft half a dozen times. She held her breath, but the sight of him filling her doorway made her heart skip a beat. Why did he have to be so goddamn attractive?

Garrett stepped into the room and took it in with a glance. She followed his gaze, wondering what he thought of the two mannequins in varying stages of dress or the sketchbook and colored Sharpies scattered over the coffee table. “Um… Do you want some coffee or something?” It was about the only thing she had that she could offer a guest. There was something truly pathetic about that.

“No, thanks.” He was in front of her in a flash, backing her against the counter. “I shouldn’t be here.”

Because of last night.

She’d set some pretty clear boundaries, and it didn’t allow for him to show up unexpectedly. Or that’s what she thought he meant. She licked her lips. “Then why are you?”

“I don’t know.” His big hands came down on the edge of the counter on either side of her hips. “No, that’s a fucking lie. I’m here because I woke up and you were gone.”

She hadn’t been able to stand the thought of an awkward morning-after conversation where he tried to get her out of his apartment without seeming like he was trying to get her out of his apartment. She was the one who’d put down the limit of one night, so she thought it was only right that she leave when the first rays of sun peeked through the curtains.

His hands inched closer, this thumbs brushing her hips. “I woke up hard and ready for you, and I reached over and there was no one beside me.”

“I’m…sorry?” She shouldn’t be. She knew that. But the thought of waking up to Garrett’s hands on her, his big body settling between her thighs, his mouth on her skin… It sounded like a little slice of heaven.

“I sure as hell was. I’ve spent all fucking day thinking about you, and wanting you, and driving myself out of my goddamn mind. So here I am.”

Just like that. He wanted her, so here he was. “Oh.” She could do better than that. She knew she could. Ridley licked her lips. “So you came…”

“Last night wasn’t enough for me.” His hands moved, now cupping her hips, his thumb tracing the band of her skirt. “I want to renegotiate.”

Her throat went dry. “What’s your offer?” Was he going to tell her he couldn’t live without her? Or that he regretted the bullshit that kept coming up between them? Or—

“You. Me. More orgasms than we can bother to count.”

Sex. He was offering sex. She ignored the disappointment threatening to sour her stomach. She had a choice to make. She could tell him to get the hell out of her apartment—could really put him in his place—or…she could say yes. The endgame was already written, she knew that even though a tiny, pathetic part of her wished it were otherwise. To move forward with him most likely only meant more heartache for her when things finally fell apart.

The slow-building burn in her body wanted her to throw caution to the wind. She’d been so damn driven, had let so much that wasn’t connected to fashion fall by the wayside. Would it kill her to take a little something for herself? She knew how this ended, so that had to provide some sort of shield.

Either that, or she was just looking for an excuse to take Garrett up on the offer blazing from his eyes.

Was an excuse even necessary? They were two consenting adults, and she wanted him like she’d never wanted another man. Ever. She could take this, could submit to the pleasure he’d undoubtedly bring, could be flying high before the night was through. “Okay.”

“Okay?” There was so much hope in his voice, her heart broke a little.

“I’m willing to renegotiate.”

“Aw, baby, you just made my day.” He kissed her, taking her mouth even as his big body pressed her more firmly against the counter. It dug into the small of her back, but the pain was nothing compared to the pleasure already radiating through her body from every place they touched. “Now, I’m about to make yours.”

He lifted her onto the counter and shoved up her skirt. Half a second later, her panties hit the floor. Holy shit. He parted her, trailing a finger through her wetness and up to circle her clit. “You’re wet for me.” Her eyes started to drift shut, but his hand in her hair had them going wide again. “Eyes open.” He pulled on her hair just hard enough to hurt. “Who’s touching you?”

As if she could even pretend she thought it was anyone but him. “You, Garrett.”

He pushed deeper and dragged his fingertips over that sensitive spot inside her while working her clit with his thumb. Three strokes and she was panting, clutching his arm, pinned in place by his gaze. His eyes dropped to her lips. “I love that I can get you to the edge in ten seconds flat.”

Hell, she loved it, too.

He kept working her, the look in his blue eyes as responsible for driving her need higher as his hands were. She moaned, her hips moving despite her best intentions to keep still. But it felt too good to take his fingers deeper, to see the small smile curving his lips.

“Now. Come for me now.”

Desire exploded through her at his command, until all she could do was cling to him as her orgasm rolled through her, again and again, drawn out by his touch. When he’d wrung the last bit of pleasure from her, he kissed her temple. “Breathe, baby. We’re just getting started.”

Chapter Eight

Garrett picked Ridley up and carried her to the couch. The feeling of her in his arms calmed the part of him that had felt jagged and broken ever since he’d woken up to find her gone. He should have expected her absence, but it had still stung. Hours of prowling the streets hadn’t done a damn thing to get his mind back on track. All he knew was that he needed to see her, and he needed to see her now. So he’d called Will to get her address, and the next thing he knew, he was standing on her doorstep.

Even better, she hadn’t kicked his ass to the curb like he’d expected. No, she’d agreed to renegotiate and then she’d come for him. As if she was truly
his
.

He was still leaving in less than a week.

He pushed the thought away. He’d figure it out as he went. Right now he had a beautiful, lusty woman that he’d fantasized about for years in his lap. He pulled her dress over her head, then tugged down her bra cups to bare her breasts. Christ, she was fucking perfect. He trailed a hand down her stomach to slip between her legs. “Tell me something, baby.”

“What?”

“How late did you stay this morning?” He’d fallen asleep sometime around one, feeling no more at ease than he had hours beforehand. He couldn’t believe she’d managed to sneak out without waking him. Normally he slept on the verge of startling into motion—too many missions had depended on his being able to shake off sleep as soon as he opened his eyes. But she’d gotten past him.

Fuck, he hadn’t realized how badly he’d wanted to wake up next to her until he rolled over to find her gone.

She gasped as he lifted her and set her down on the couch next to him. Ridley bit her lip, not quite meeting his eyes. That was fine. He was more than content to wait her out, continuing to trace little circles on her inner thigh as he did. She finally gave a whimper and looked at him. “I left at four forty-five.”

Three hours after he fell asleep. He made himself stop touching her and sit back. He could be all about positive reinforcement when the mood suited him. Three rewards for three hours spent wrapped up in each other while they both slept. “Take the bra off.”

She stood and let it drop off her shoulders, leaving her completely naked. He let her wait much the same way she’d made him wait for his answer. “What would you like?”

Again the lip bite, as if she wasn’t sure if this was a true offer or a trap. “I want you, inside me.”

He held out a hand and, when she took it, pulled her closer to straddle his lap. “All in good time.” He pinned her wrists behind her. “Don’t move your arms.” She huffed and he raised an eyebrow. “My rules. Don’t forget that.” Using his grip on her wrists, he forced her to bend back, giving him access to her entire body. “Your breasts are unreal, baby. Next time we play, I’m putting nipple clamps on them.” He pinched the right one and then leaned forward and soothed the spot with his mouth before repeating the process with the left.

Garrett glanced up, taking in her wide eyes and parted lips. “You love this, don’t you?”

“Yes, Sir.”

He trailed a single finger down her stomach. She hissed out a breath when he made contact with her clit. “Maybe I’ll use a clamp here, too. Would you like that?”

She looked away and back at him. “I don’t know, Sir.”

Judging from her other responses, he suspected he already knew the answer. “We’ll find out. I’d like to see a chain connecting the two to this one.” He followed the path it would take. “I’d bend you over and fuck you from behind, and each thrust would send it swinging.” He squeezed her clit between two fingers, his cock going even harder when her head fell back and her eyes closed. It was too much. “I need a taste.”

She started to shift, but he lifted her before she could complete the move, twisting so she was facing downward, her knees propped on his shoulders and her pussy kissably close. “Put your forearms on the couch.” He gave her a lick while she obeyed.

“Garrett, Sir…”

He squeezed her thighs, just this side of pain. “Yes?”

“Can I…” She took a shuddering breath as he tongued her again. “I need you in my mouth.”

He kissed her pussy, taking his time and enjoying her taste and the way she gasped with each stroke. It was only when she was quivering and moaning, her hips moving as much as his grip would allow, that he answered, “Suck my cock, baby.”

She undid his jeans with quick movements, but he didn’t stop his onslaught on her clit while she did. When she finally freed him, she fell on his cock with a moan, taking him deep until he bumped the back of her throat. “Fuck.” He closed his eyes, trying to get his bearings back as she fucked him with her mouth, her little moans making her vibrate around him and her tongue stroking around the head of his cock. With a groan, he went back to her pussy, lashing her clit with his tongue, both punishing her and praising her for what she was doing to him, determined to make her come first.

He sucked her clit hard into his mouth, squeezing her thighs tighter, and then she was coming against his lips, his cock sliding from her mouth as her cries filled the loft. Only when he’d wrung every last shudder from her did he maneuver her into his lap and kiss her. “That’s two.”

…

Ridley couldn’t quite seem to catch her breath. What’d they’d just done… How he’d just held her up while he… God, she couldn’t even put it into words. “I…” But he was already moving, nudging her up from the comfy spot on the couch and around to the arm, where he pushed her face-down. The new position left her ass in the air, and Garrett compounded the feeling of helplessness by pinning her wrists at the small of her back.

There was a crinkle of what must be a condom wrapper in the silence of the room, and then he was inside her, shoving deep until she cried out. His hold on her wrists hurt, but soon that pain was lost in the sensation of his cock rubbing against parts of her she hadn’t known existed.

He kicked her heels wider, forcing himself deeper, and the only thing she could do in this position was take it. And, God, she loved every second of it. In this moment, there was nothing but the feeling of him sliding in and out of her, pinning her arms behind her, her nipples rubbing the couch cushion with each stroke. “So tight, baby. Tight and wet.” He pulled almost all the way out and slammed into her. “Did you know your pussy squeezes around me when I pull out? Like you never want me to leave.”

He’d said that before, at his place, but she couldn’t find the breath to tell him so. God help her, but she never wanted this assault on her senses to stop.

Between one breath and the next, he let go of her wrists and hauled her up until her back pressed against his chest. “One leg on the couch. Good girl.” The new position left her open and, once again, at his mercy. His big hand bracketed her throat, not quite restricting her ability to breath, but letting her know in no uncertain terms that every breath she took was
his
.

He fucked her slowly, letting her feel every inch of him. Just when she thought she couldn’t take it any more, his free hand cupped her between her legs, his fingers rubbing against her clit with each stroke. Pressure built in her core, spiraling outward. “Garrett, I’m close.”

“Not yet, baby.”

Not yet? How the hell was she supposed to stop it with him overwhelming her and possessing her like this? “
Garrett
.”

His fingers kept right on stroking. “If you come before I give you permission, you’ll be punished.”

It was too late. She couldn’t have stopped the orgasm cresting over her if she’d wanted to. She cried out, the waves rolling over her again and again, driven by his hands on her and his cock filling her. He finally let her come down right before she was about to beg him to stop. Garrett transferred his grip to her chin, forcing her to twist around to see his face. To call his expression forbidding was a serious understatement. “You came.”

Ridley licked her lips. “I came, Sir.”

He stroked a thumb over her bottom lip, a small smile pulling at the edges of his mouth. “Get ready for your punishment. Do you want to use your safe word?”

Goddamn it, he knew she didn’t. Before she could respond, he had her over the couch, her ass once again in the air. She cursed and then all thought fled at his hand came down on her butt, hard enough to drive the air from her lungs. “Oh my God!” She barely had time to register the pain and then he hit the other cheek, the pain radiating outward until her world narrowed down to his alternating slaps. He stopped at ten, his hands gripping the back of her thighs and forcing her open.

Her breath sobbed out, but the pain was already shifting to something else, hurt turning to heat that seemed directly connected to the area between her thighs. She tried to jerk away, but his grip held her immobile. She screamed into the cushion, venting the pent-up pain and desire and…
holy shit that’s his mouth
. Ridley went still as he kissed the part of her body he’d just beaten, the gentleness making her squirm as he moved closer and closer to her center, alternating cheeks just like he had with slaps. He stopped and she could feel his breath on her clit. “You’re awfully wet for what was supposed to be a punishment.”

She couldn’t tell whether she was mortified or turned on, so she went with the latter and lifted her hips a little, giving him a clear invitation. “Please.”

“Please?”

She shouldn’t be surprised he was going to make her say it, but it was harder than it should have been to voice her need. “Please fuck me until I come again.”

“Baby, it would be my pleasure.” He gave her clit a quick but thorough kiss that nearly had her eyes rolling back into her head and then, a heartbeat later, the broad head of his cock was pressing against her entrance.

He took her brutally, the sound of flesh slapping flesh filling the room. With every stroke, he made contact with her sensitive ass, sending sensation rolling through her. She couldn’t tell if it was good or bad, but it didn’t matter as long as he didn’t stop. He reached between her legs and stroked her clit. “Now you have permission to come.” With one last stroke, he pushed her over the edge, sending her screaming into oblivion. He cursed and followed her, emptying himself with three jagged thrusts.

Garrett draped himself over her and kissed the back of her neck. “You’re fucking amazing.” He gave himself a shake and pushed to his feet. She blinked at him with one eye between her mass of hair and he laughed. “Do you have a bath in this place?”

Ridley gave a half-hearted wave in the direction of the bathroom and then yelped when he lifted her. How the hell could he walk after that? She was struggling just to remember how to breathe. He kissed her forehead, making something in her chest give a dull thump. “You’re going to be sore tomorrow.”

She didn’t regret a single second of what they’d just done so she laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes. “Good.”

He sat on the edge of the tub and turned on the water, all while keeping her in his arms. She opened one eye again. “That’s not really necessary. A shower will work just fine.”

“It has nothing to do with necessary and everything to do with what I want.” He tested the water and must have been satisfied because he sat back.

“You are such a caveman.”

“I’m a Dom.”

She sighed. “Same difference.”

“Just let me take care of you, baby. The bath will help with some of the soreness.” He eyed her. “You didn’t bother to grab food on the way home from work, did you?”

Guilt flared, even though she had no reason to feel guilty. “I was getting to ordering dinner when this hulking Norse god showed up on my doorstep.”

He flashed a grin. “I suppose you can be forgiven. Takeout menus?”

It was one thing to have him dominate her in the bedroom, but this was something else all together. He was…taking care of her. She couldn’t decide if she liked it or not, but she was too tired to fight him over something so silly. An argument for another day. “Top drawer by the fridge.”

He lowered her into the bath, checked the temperature again, and shut off the water. Ridley rolled onto her side and watched him move around her bathroom like he owned the place, getting two towels from the linen closet and setting them on the toilet and then eyeing her lotion collection. “This one.”

Warmth coursed through her, warmth that had nothing to do with the temperature of the water. It was the same lotion she’d favored in high school. How the hell did he remember that?

He disappeared out the doorway and she listened to him calling for Chinese. It was so strange. For all that she’d lusted after him for as long as she could remember, this part of what a relationship entailed had never entered into the equation. She wasn’t prepared to hand the reins over to Garrett in every aspect of life, but she had to admit it was kind of nice right this second.

Before she could wonder what he was up to, he reappeared. “Sit up.”

She obeyed and he slid into the tub behind her. Thank God she had put an extra-deep one into the loft when she bought it, or he never would have fit. As it was, they nearly lost half the water while they adjusted their positions. They ended up with her sprawled across his chest, her chin propped on her forearms. It put them kissably close, but she was too tired and sore to follow through on it.

“Tell me about Fashion Week.”

She snuggled closer, pressing her cheek against his chest. “You don’t really want to know.”

“Tell me.”

Which wasn’t an answer, but he left no room for more argument. She shrugged and went for nonchalance. “It’s not in the main tent or anything, but it’s a foot in the door—
if
I can figure out the last few pieces to tie it all together.”