Surrender Your Heart (7 page)

With that I
leave her, to ponder my words and its implications. I have to see Marlene now,
and then spend a few hours behind my desk.

Fire her? I
chuckle at the idea. Who would arrange the romantic dinner on the private
stretch of beach while I’m busy kicking Marcus Wellington in a sensitive place?
Figuratively speaking, of course, which is too bad, but it’ll have to do for
all the times he’s been leering at me.

He’s done worse
to his employees. Today, it’ll be up to him to pay.

Afterwards, I
have a date with Penelope. Life couldn’t be better.

* * * *

Who did I
punish, her or me, by making us wait? I sit in my desk chair, wincing at the
too distracting sensations, caused by everything I want to do to her tonight.
If she’s good all day, I might let her touch me like she asked. If she’s bad,
trying anything with Marlene again…She already knows I’m not going to spank her,
or anything of that kind, but there are other ways to remind her she’s mine
now.

I wish I could
do so right now, but I have other things to do.

I spend some
time making sure all the players for the
Wellington
deal are in place. He’s been preparing a meeting with the other
party. I shake my head. He’d get too much money out of it, and not even a slap
on the wrist. Not good enough, especially with the prospects of selling
electronics I’ve been made aware of.

That meeting has
to blow up. There’s an investigator and a reporter who’s going to make that
happen for me, and then my folks will sweep in to sign the deal. They might
even be able to do so without me, but it’s better to make an appearance.

Linda, the
investigator, and Gillian, the attorney, will keep me up to date regarding
everyone’s activities.

I like working
with women, for a variety of reasons. I like being in a position where I can
open doors to promising and skilled people who, otherwise, would have the same
doors being slammed into their faces by somebody’s boy. You can call it my
version of giving back, to help create some sort of equilibrium.

It doesn’t harm
that some of them owe me. I don’t expect sex or their firstborn, but in some
cases, there is a quid pro quo involved. Like Colette. She asks for a meeting
the next time I’m in town. That sounds awfully formal from the FBI
investigator, but if she had any real concerns, she’d be knocking on my door
already. I sit back in my chair.

She’s ambitious,
over-worked, driven , like all of us who have to be twice as good to get a vote
and still not have earned it in the eyes of silly, immature men. I think a
vacation in a private resort would do her some good, and I wanted to see her
anyway, get a feel for what’s going on back home.

I did everything
on my end to make Penelope’s transition into a life of luxury and abundance as
smooth as I could, but of course I’m also busy chopping the
Wellington
empire into little pieces…Yes,
I think it would be a good idea to have the meeting with Colette here. I was willing
to lend a hand when no once else bothered and she almost lost her career and
life—so I’ll make sure she’ll still do the same for me.

I work past
lunchtime, eventually without my attention drifting to Penelope, though I stop
for a moment to tell Marlene to make a light lunch only. The real deal will be
served later, under the stars.

Nick joins me in
my office for a coffee.

Everything is
quiet, he says, but he has one concern about a new employee, some young guy we
hired for the landscaping team. His mother is friends with Marlene, he has a
clean record. I swear, sometimes Nick is even more paranoid than I am. I
remember Penelope thought he was my husband, which amuses me.

Not in a million
years.

As it is, Nick
happens to be one of the few men I trust, and he takes care of business,
bothering me only when it’s necessary.

“If you must
look into him, you do that, but I don’t think Marlene would have him on the
premises if there was any danger.”

“It’s a gut
feeling,” he says. “I saw him sneaking around the house…”

“Yeah, well, I
pay him for that.”

“He seems jumpy
to me.” Unfortunately, Nick is hardly ever wrong on these things. With
Wellington
, business as usual and a new
lover, I have my hands full, but I can’t ignore his concerns either.

“He’s been seen
in some shady joints in town as well. That’s merely an image thing that could
backfire on you, but we want to make sure it’s not worse than that.”

“You do that.
Thank you. This is not such great timing.”

Nick, like
Marlene, is aware of much of what is going on in my life these days. “How is
she doing?”

I shrug.
“Adjusting. As expected.” I didn’t lie to Penelope. If he had touched her, I
would have had him killed, discreetly, no evidence, and I’d have known who to
call in order to make even the sliver of a suspicion go away.

He knows it too.
Of course, we’re talking completely unlikely scenarios. I don’t have people
killed. Nick is one of the good guys.

Sometimes you
have to take unusual measures, even when the benefits aren’t as obvious as they
are in the case of taking over
Wellington
’s.

Of course giving
a woman a well-deserved break is more of an indulgence than other projects
we’ve worked on, but he won’t question it. Success has much to do with
surrounding yourself with the right people.

“Good.”

“You had any
doubts?”

“Not my place,”
Nick says. “Have you told her yet?”

I shake my head
letting him know that the subject is done. “I sent Colette Grady a plane
ticket,” I say. “She’ll arrive on Tuesday. Let me know what I need to know.”

Nick finishes
his coffee with an air of disappointment. This man is more of a chocoholic than
most women I know, but I don’t offer sweets at this time of the day. “Will do,”
he says. “Thanks for the coffee.”

“Yeah, I know.
You can stop by Marlene’s, I think she still has some leftover cake.”

He can’t hide
the smile at this prospect.

“Go. Enjoy. It
takes so little to make you happy.”

Nick laughs, but
he obediently leaves me to the rest of my workday and otherwise fantasies.

Chapter Seven

“How was your
day?”

Penelope looks
surprised at the question, and a bit impatient. “I read. I made a list of
things to check, and to read for a paper that would be due next week. Not that
I’m going to get credits for it, because, as you know, I won’t actually be in
class, but I’ll write it anyway. I watched a little TV in the media room. I was
thinking about scrap-booking, but I didn’t want to get Marlene into trouble
again. Also, I’m kind of hungry, because even though you said I could order
whatever I wanted, Marlene said you didn’t want me to eat too much.”

I can’t help
laughing at her rant. “I’m sure she didn’t say it like that. I have something
special planned for tonight.”

Her expression
softens. I pull her to me and kiss her, excited beyond measure about what the
fantasy of a split-second has turned into. “So…how was your day?” I repeat.

“Getting better.
I think. I still wonder why you brought me here when really, you need me for
about an hour of the day.”

I hope whatever
she says next will not destroy this warm, promising atmosphere between us, something
that would make it look cheap.

“I am sorry.
Some unexpected developments came up. I promise you I will tell you about it,
but let’s eat first.” There would be no harm in telling her about
Wellington
, I think, but if I have to in
order to make her feel better, it will be after all the special things I
planned for tonight.

Penelope turns
to me in surprise when we walk past the dining room.

“We’re not
having dinner there?”

“No, not
tonight. I think you’ll like it.”

“You’re taking
me to a restaurant? First things first?” The defiant tone is gone. She is
curious.

“First things
first,” I say.

We leave the
house via a terrace she hasn’t seen yet, because it’s on the other side of the
pool. Stairs lead down to a path illuminated with lanterns until there’s sand
under our feet. The sun is setting, a stunning display on the horizon. The
table is set for two, a candlelight dinner with just enough of a distance so
you don’t get wet feet.

The ocean is
stretched out in front of us, dark and serene.

I think Penelope
is speechless.

“This is a
private beach,” I tell her. “You can’t see it from here, but it’s fenced in at
some point. Not because of you, but for the privacy. Give it a couple of days,
and you can come down here by yourself during the day, if you want. The ocean
is pretty tame here, but if you want to swim don’t go out too far, the pool’s
better for that. Now…sit. Enjoy.”

She sighs
deeply. I know it’s not the best solution to have her cooped up in the house
all the time, but what choice do I have, for now? It will be better once we can
spend some uninterrupted time together and Penelope understands what this is
really all about.

“Yeah, I know.
After this deal, I promise you I’ll spend more time with you.”

She casts me a
quick apologetic glance. “No, I wasn’t going to complain. I wanted to say thank
you. This…all of this is beautiful. You still haven’t told me where we are.”

“No, and I
won’t. It’s for your protection and mine. You don’t have to worry about
anything. I meant it when I said you’re safe here.”

For once,
Penelope doesn’t question my words. Marlene arrives, serving cocktails and
appetizers, then stays at a respectful distance. That’s fine. I wasn’t planning
on having sex right here on the beach, but I hoped the peaceful setting would
help calm and relax Penelope, and so far, it seems to work.

“You are
spoiling me senseless,” she says. “The more I think about it, the more I
realize…it’s kind of cruel. At the end of the year, I might not even fit into
all those clothes you bought me. You’re going to dump me, and I’ll have
nothing.”

“I’m not going
to dump you.” The idea is so ridiculous, it has me amused. I don’t let it show.
This is a critical stage, still. “You’re not used to being pampered, even a
little bit,” I observe.

“Most adult
people aren’t…unless they’re rich, like you.”

Even then, you
have to be able to allow the idea of giving yourself into someone’s hands
completely. I have to admit I can sympathize. It would scare me too, I think.
However, we’re not talking about me. I have the opportunity to provide this
kind of environment for her. I want to—so this is what’s happening.

“Do you think
you deserve it?”

Self-conscious,
she picks up her glass, studying the contents.

“Does anybody?
Can the world function like this?”

“Is this a
philosophical or a practical question? I believe it can. The café will employ
someone else. You’re not taking anything away from another person. It’s not
like you’re never going back to university, if that’s what you want.”

She smiles,
hesitantly. “I guess it’s still all a little much. It’s true, I felt like I
never had time for myself, and I fantasized about reading…even shopping. Now I
have a library and a giant closet to choose from. Dinner on a private beach.
It’s an alternate reality.”

“You’ll get used
to it,” I promise. Tomorrow, I’ll let her sleep in—she’s going to need it—after
that, a spa day maybe. Once I’ve taken care of Colette, we could take a little
trip somewhere. It’s safe, I have to remind myself. I took care of
everything—no one is looking for her. “You won’t have to spend your days in the
house, reading, either. Next week, we could go hiking, or spend some time in
town if you’d like to do something physical.”

“There’s a gym
in the house, right? I mean, there must be, because there is
everything
else. I’d like to go tomorrow, and then maybe on a regular basis. Wow, I never
thought I’d say this someday.”

She is
overwhelmed, obviously, but now that she’s not scared anymore, Penelope is also
bored. Clearly, I have to do better, and I will. Tonight.

Waiting until
there are stars out in the sky, while having dessert and an excellent coffee is
all part of the romantic package. The rest of the evening will continue without
Marlene.

Penelope follows
me back up the stairs, a thoughtful expression on her face as I let her inside
and lock behind us.

“I’ll be with
you in a bit,” I tell her. “I have to prepare something…You’ll have time to
wash off the sand, but don’t stay too long in the shower. You don’t need to put
on clothes. A robe will do.”

She nods, and we
walk to her quarters in silence. I wait in front of the door until I hear the
sound of the shower. Penelope told me to do better. I can’t wait to see what
she has to say about my attempt do so.

Maybe she won’t
be so quiet tonight.

* * * *

I am calm as I
finish my preparations, even though the anticipation is killing me. I let her
surprise me yesterday, give her some leeway, but tonight will be different.
Tonight, there’ll be no room for doubts, second thoughts, or…boredom. I scoff,
not so much at Penelope’s mixed emotions, but my reaction to them. I got a bit
cocky, thinking this smart woman would kiss my feet for the chance at some lazy
time.

I plan to give
her much more than that.

I knock on her
door as if I was obliged to. She has dried her hair, and it’s falling onto her
shoulders in soft waves. She’s wearing the robe, loosely tied, nothing
underneath.

I step closer,
brushing a finger over her lips and then between her breasts. She draws a sharp
breath, her eyes never leaving me, as I caress her hardened nipples through the
soft fabric.

“You won’t
regret this,” I tell her.

Penelope laughs
a little, with an emotion hard to decipher. “Why would I regret anything? I
didn’t…do anything, this was not my plan. Obviously, I’m going along with it,
but…I still don’t know
why
.”

“What do you
mean?” I ask, never breaking the touch.

“Why did you
choose me? You’re attracted to me, and you weren’t sure if you could have me. I
get that—but when did you decide I was worth all this money and trouble?”

“Does it
matter?”

I slide the robe
from her shoulders, exposing her to me, and then, turning her around, to the
full-length mirror. Her breath catches in her throat, self-consciousness,
surprise, or maybe the realization how beautiful she is in my hands.

“I don’t know,”
she whispers, her cheeks flushed, but she feels relaxed and comfortable in my
hold, even when my hand wanders down her body and between her legs. “This
is…naughty,” Penelope finishes, for the lack of a better word, a breathless
laugh following her words. “You’re not going to…oh my God, you are.”

I kiss her neck,
my hand moving at a leisurely pace, and there’s as much wetness on my fingers
as I can feel pooling between my own thighs. This is only the beginning though.
Her eyes flutter shut. I know I could make her come within moments, but we’re
not in a hurry. I am not.

I reach behind
me into the bag I’ve brought. I have to be quick, because at this point, she
can barely stand.

The blindfold
jolts her out of the pleasant pre-orgasmic state, her voice sounding alarmed.
“Wait. What is this?”

“You’re safe.
Just allow yourself to let go. I’ll take care of the rest.” I slide my fingers
into her hair, close them and give a firm tug. She gasps. Not from pain, I can
tell. Instead, Penelope goes with the motion, leaning back into me with a
content sigh. I took a chance on the light hair-pulling, but it worked. I ease
her down on the bed and finish by tying her wrists to the headboard, quickly,
but there’s no protest. She’s been waiting for this, wanting it, before we even
met. Now, though, she wants it from me.

Blindfolded and
restrained, this time she’ll be able to enjoy without having any part in the
responsibility. It’s all me.

“Is this how you
imagined it?”

“You really like
doing all the work, don’t you?”

“Believe me,
this is far from work.”

She might have
called me a crazy bitch yesterday, but I think we’re past that.

I kiss her
cheek, then her mouth as her body strains towards me, and I indulge her,
enjoying the small whimper when my fingers glide into her, deep. She was almost
there earlier, so all I have to do is stroke her gently, inside, outside, until
the sensation becomes too much. Her lips part, her fingers twitch. I could do
this all night, tease, play with her, listen to her breathless pleas. Maybe
this is where she’ll stop asking questions, because the why is so obvious. I
might have some unselfish reasons, in the big picture, but this is a big part
of the why. I am good at seeing the potential underneath a person’s exterior.
She’s good at her job, pleasant and polite, a better than average student, not
making any waves…but I could see something else in her, something I’ve been
waiting to uncover.

She’s trembling,
the gasps accompanying each stroke sounding more like a sob...and then she does
what I told her to do, gives in, lets the sensations take her over.

I hold her,
listen to her rapid heartbeat. “That was a good start, wasn’t it?”

“Start,”
Penelope repeats, disbelief coloring the word, but there’s a smile on her face.
I lean in to kiss it. “You’re not going to untie me?” There’s a hint of worry
now, and I clarify.

“I will before I
go. Fair enough?”

“Would you stop
if I said no?”

“I can leave
right now, if you want that.” She walked right into that. “I’ll untie you
first.” Penelope shivers under my fingertips, and I’m fairly confident as to
what her answer will be. “Do you want to stop?”

I have a few
more surprises lined up for her, and I’m sure she can tell.

“No.” Her voice
is barely below a whisper. “Don’t stop.”

“Are you
comfortable?” She nods.

I kiss her
stomach, then move to place a pillow under her hips. In expectation of more
pleasures, she lets me arrange her body the way I want to. Based on yesterday,
I’m sure she’s formed some idea of what’s going to happen, but I intend to mix
it up a bit. I know she likes my fingers and tongue—I can’t wait to see what
the gentle vibrations of a small, smooth silicone toy will do.

The blindfold
helps with everything that might still not be clear between us, a trick of the
mind, doing away with any hesitation or doubt. Her legs are wide open, and I
can’t resist leaning in for a taste. Sex is something wonderfully
uncomplicated. She trusts me blindly, to know what I’m doing. The real
challenge is to get there outside of the bedroom, but physical pleasure
certainly will ease the way. I switch on the toy. “Well, good. I think this
will relax you even more.”

“Will you
please…stay with me?” It’s obviously tough to stay focused enough to get the
words out, with everything that’s happening with her body at this moment.

“I’ll stay for a
little while if you work with me, let yourself feel. Everything.”