Sexy as Hell Box Set (59 page)

“What the fuck are you playing at?” I said, my voice harsher than I’d intended. A surge of annoyance swept through me, and I tightened my grip, irked further by the fact that she didn’t wince but rather seemed to be enjoying the pain. Damn her. I tossed her arm away as though it had tainted me, and waited for her answer.

“What? I came out for a bloody walk!” She frowned and looked for all the world as though she’d been mortally offended.

“Oh, don’t give me that crap. You followed me.” I shoved my hands into my hair then dragged my palms down my face, wishing that when I removed them she’d be gone.

She wasn’t.

“Oh, hark at you, Mr I’ve-Got-a-Sodding-High-Opinion-of-Myself,” she said, prowling around me in a circle. “I don’t know what’s going through that big head of yours, but it most certainly shouldn’t be the line of thought you’re currently taking.”

“Nothing’s going through my head except having you bugger off home. This isn’t going to work.” I ground my teeth, put my hands back in my pockets in case they had a mind of their own and decided to put themselves around her gloriously slender throat.

“What isn’t going to work?” she asked, coming to a stop in front of me. She smiled—infuriating—and cocked her head. “You getting arse sex?”

“No, I’ve bloody had that just now.” Shit, I hadn’t meant to tell her that.

She had no visible reaction. Her face remained exactly as it had been before. Either she was schooling her expression or my confession really hadn’t bothered her.

“That’s wonderful,” she said. “Saves me having that conversation with her. So how did it go?”

Did I really want to tell her? Did I need to give her any more ammunition to blast crafty bullets at us, Catherine innocent of them flying around, me waiting for them to hit and wound?

“If I’m to help you progress with this woman, Victor, you’ll need to tell me. I then need to know what else you’d want me to discuss with her—you know, to prepare her for when you try it out. There’s no point talking about anal now you’ve popped her virgin bum cherry.”

“I don’t think she liked it,” I said quickly, heat rising in my face. What I wouldn’t do for a dip in the lake now.

“Because?” She cocked her head to the other side. Twirled a lock of her hair around her finger. The sun glinted off the red tip of her fingernail.

I sighed. “Because she squirmed a lot.”

“Natural for the first time,” she said. “I mean, look at how Ollie was squirming on the flight. Having something up your arse when you’re not used to it… You should know all about that.”

“I suppose.”
So he
had
been writhing about because of a butt plug. I bloody knew it.

I turned my back on her so she didn’t see any jealousy on my face. She’d probably take it the wrong way and think I wanted to be with her, when, in fact, I just wanted the kind of sex we’d had. I meandered about, pacing in no particular direction. I’d thought… What
had
I thought? That Zara had come out here to seduce me? From our little chat there, it was very clear she hadn’t. All she appeared to want to do was help. So why did I keep thinking she had an ulterior motive? That she wanted to
be
with me any chance she got? Wishful thinking?

No. Never that.

The thought of having her back in my life in that way gave me a shiver so violent it made my body jerk.

“Are you all right, Victor?” she asked, the rustle of her feet in the grass telling me she was coming towards me. “Do you need to take a tablet?”

I could have thought she was being sarcastic, her usual caustic self, but she’d sounded genuinely concerned. I faced her, read her features and at last saw some emotion—a frown indicating her worry.

“Getting through a hospital visit here,” she said, putting her hand on my arm, “would be a lot more complicated than at home. Make sure you’re consistent with your medication. I don’t much fancy my holiday ruined by having to visit you while you spend the week holed up in some intensive care bed or whatever.”

And there she went, spoiling a moment. As usual.

I shirked her hand off. Her touch had been…inappropriate. “Well, I’d thought for a minute there that you actually gave a shit, but I see my possibly being ill here is a hindrance, and the only cause for concern for you would be the inconvenience of you not being able to gad about in your bikini sipping wine all day. Or having Ollie lick your cunt.”

She smiled the smile of the well-pleased. I cursed myself for letting her know I’d heard them while they’d been at it, that I knew what they’d been up to. Information like that to a woman like her was lethal.

“Exactly,” she said. “I’m so glad you understand.” She smiled wider. “So, make sure that doesn’t happen. I enjoyed him licking my cunt and I’d like more of that over the next few days. If you end up ill you’ll have been nothing but selfish.”

“Selfish?” Oh, she took the bloody biscuit, she did. “You have a damn weird way of looking at things, woman.”

She shrugged. “I see things as I see them, you know that. I won’t change for anyone, so you may as well just get used to it.”

“Yes,” I said. “And once this break is over, we thankfully won’t have to see one another again.”

“Indeed, although that would also be selfish, don’t you think?”

I took my hands out of my pockets, stepped forward, raising my arms ready to— No, I wouldn’t let her get to me. She was an expert at pressing the right buttons to get my back up, and knowing she’d done so would be the highlight of her day.

“Why would that be selfish?” I asked calmly, going for an I’m-indulging-you tone. I continued to raise my hands as if I’d only been lifting them to ruffle my hair again.

“Think of Catherine. Do you want to deny her my help? Okay, she won’t be aware I’ll be helping, but in order for her to embrace the kind of sexual lifestyle you want…you clearly can’t do this by yourself.”

“I just told you I’d fucked her arse,” I snapped, annoyed with myself that despite my trying to remain devoid of any obvious emotion I’d failed.

“But you said she hadn’t seemed to enjoy it. You still need my input here. I can still talk to her about the experience. And the paddle, I can bring that up in conversation, too, amongst other things.”

“What other things?” I narrowed my eyes. Christ, I didn’t trust her at all.

“I don’t know until you tell me, do I!” She rolled her eyes. “Has the presence of the sun sent you nutty, Victor? It isn’t even that hot and yet you’re behaving as though you’re as thick as two short planks. Are we even on the same bloody page here?”

We weren’t. I was trying to flick several pages ahead, to see what was going to happen next, what
she
was going to do next, to know about it so I could be prepared. But that wasn’t going to work. Zara always wrote the whole book then handed it to me, watching me as the plot unfolded and all the time she knew exactly what twists and turns were coming.

God, she was a cunning bitch.

So why did I find her so…alluring?

She had a pull, that was it. A magnetic pull that drew people to her. Even Catherine had seemed to take to her. Ollie had been well and truly sucked into her crazy vortex, but if I voiced the fact that this woman was an angel in the devil’s Sunday best, neither of them would believe me.

I was stuck here in a foreign country at her mercy.

Just get me to the end of this bloody week… 

He hadn’t answered my question. “Victor?”

“What?” He frowned, looking at me like he’d never seen me before.

“Are we on the same page or what?”

“Yes,” he said. “On exactly the same page.”

“Good, because for a moment there I thought…”

“What did you think?”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. So, what do you need me to talk to Catherine about?”

He glanced at the villa, his eyes moving back and forth. Was he worried we’d be spotted despite the cover of trees? I had no idea why, seeing as we were only talking. If I were him, I’d be more inclined to worry about being overheard if Catherine had also decided to take a stroll. Especially considering what we were going to discuss next.

“Um, I’m not sure,” he said, returning his attention to me. “Maybe tell her arse sex will get better?”

“I can do that. What else?” I wanted to know what he had in mind out of curiosity, to perhaps see how much of his beast I’d unleashed and whether there was more to come.

“Well, we’ve had sex in the daytime at my place on the sofa so that’s a topic you don’t need to broach. I’ve at least managed to ditch the bed and the duvet on one occasion.”

“Shame it was no doubt missionary and she wouldn’t have been able to appreciate the incredible, multi-million-pound London view.”

He frowned and I knew I’d guessed right.

“Did she enjoy it, though?” I asked, resisting a sigh because I could guess the answer already.

“I don’t think so. Seemed to be worrying about someone seeing in all the time, despite the one-way glass, and like you say, it being missionary and her eyes shut, not much to see.”

I sighed. This woman didn’t appear to be enjoying anything. “And I know you’ve done the deed
down there
with her that time in the theatre box. And she’s sucked you off. So, yes, I’ll mention the paddle, call it a bit of slap and tickle to take the shock away, make it sound fun, but if you want something more specific or more extreme you have to tell me.”

“I want everything.” He’d blurted the words out in such a rush they’d almost tripped over themselves on his tongue.

“Everything? Victor, dear, you need to be more precise.”

“Everything we did.” He sniffed, shifted his eyes so he stared into the distance behind me. “Except I want it with her.”

That didn’t hurt, right? I cleared my throat. “So I’ll just have a general girly chat with her about sex, then, yes? I might even find out what she wants, if anything.”

“Yes, do that, and mention dressing up. You know, role play.”

“What?” That surprised me.

“I’ve brought an outfit I want her to wear.”

An outfit. Bugger. He was hooked on her. I’d definitely have to ensure Catherine finished with him, sooner rather than later. If they spent any more time together he’d only get further attached. I didn’t fancy having to mop up his tears afterwards, but if I had to, I would. As a friend.

“I’m sure she does want all of these things,” he said, “just…just not in the way I do. But she said she’s willing to try them. For me.”

“Oh, how delightfully sweet. You’ve found yourself a woman who’s willing to put her own needs aside just so yours are met.” Bloody hell, she’d be harder to get rid of than I’d thought.

“Isn’t that what you did? With me?”

I waved his query away. “Entirely different kettle of fish, Victor. I fail to understand how you can’t see that. I did what I did as part of training, my job as it were. She’s doing it as a lifestyle choice. She’s happy to do whatever it takes to make
you
happy, regardless of how it makes her feel. That isn’t…well, it isn’t something I’d be prepared to do. I don’t feel any woman should leave themselves wide open like that. Emotionally, I mean. It’s just not healthy. She should
want
to please herself as well, and it seems to me she doesn’t. Can I be honest with you?”

He laughed quietly. “When are you ever not?”

“Hmm, you have a point. Think about this for a moment. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with a yes-woman? Yes, dear. No, dear. Three bags bloody full, dear. Don’t you want her to be happy too?”

His frown deepened, and he stared right at me. “Of course I bloody do, and that’s what this is about. I—”

“Good. Now, I think we ought to go inside. I imagine Ollie is still out for the count—licking my cunt tired the poor man—and Catherine… You shouldn’t really have left her so soon after taking her cherry. I never thought you would have abandoned her like that, Victor.” I gave him a stern look. “Just think, although she probably
seemed
like she was okay with us two having dated before, whatever must be going through her mind if she’s standing out of sight watching us this very moment?” I tsked to make my point clearer. “A woman will always wonder whether her man is still interested in a former date no matter how much she says she’s fine with it. She may well be imagining us having an illicit affair!” I trilled out a laugh—rather loud, but oh well—and swatted him playfully on the top of his arm.

He lifted one hand to his brow, rubbed it with his fingertips. “Shit, I hadn’t really thought of that.”

“No, you tend not to think of many things. Off you go now.”

He gave me a sheepish smile and walked away, quickly, heading for the villa as if his arse were on fire.

I remained where I was, staring after him, smiling secretly, knowing exactly how I was going to deal with Catherine. To make her run off and leave my Victor alone. She had to understand that although she was willing to do things for him, she needed to be comfortable with that in the very depths of her soul. I’d lay a bet that she would never be comfortable with any of it, and with me planting little seeds of doubt in her mind, she’d be out of his life in no time. I’d give her a speech that would have her wanting to leg it as quickly as possible.