The Ninety Days of Genevieve (26 page)

'Wanton woman?' she giggled again. 'Do you mean me?'

'Certainly.' Suddenly he spun her round. With her wrists held captive in his strong grip he pushed her forward towards one of the chairs. 'You would have been seen as a threat. A sex-mad female. You would have been punished. For your own good, naturally.'

They were standing in front of one of the armchairs now. Genevieve leaned back against Sinclair, relishing the warmth and strength of his body, enjoying the smooth feeling of his shirt against her bare skin. He leaned forward and placed his mouth close to her ear.

'The Victorians were great believers in punishment.' He shifted his grip to hold her wrists with one hand. His free hand roved over her bottom. She shivered. 'Corporal punishment/ he added softly.

Suddenly he spun her round, sat down in the chair and pulled her face down across his knees. The movement was so unexpected that she offered no resistance.

'He would have loved this,' Sinclair said. She heard a hint of amusement in his voice. 'He would have thought this was just what you deserved.'

The flat of his hand landed on her bottom and she yelled in startled surprise. She kicked out but he moved expertly and trapped her legs between his own. His hand landed three more times in quick succession. They were sharp, hard blows and yet the stinging pain, and the uncomfortable position he had trapped her into, aroused her as much as a soft caress.

'And I agree,' he added.

Another flurry of slaps landed on her unprotected flesh. She struggled ineffectively. Even the movement of her body against the hard muscles of his thighs excited her.

'I'm beginning to see why the Victorians enjoyed this kind of thing/ Sinclair said. His hand landed again, harder this time.

'You pig!' she yelled. 'That hurt.'

He leaned over and she felt his breath against her tangled hair.

'And you love it/ he whispered. 'Admit it?'

Her answer was to struggle more violently.

'Admit it,' he repeated. 'It turns you on.'

'It doesn't.'

She knew it was a ridiculous lie. She did not expect him to believe it, and she was right. He reached forward and found her breasts, found her nipples, hard as berries. His hand explored her, his thumb rubbing, teasing her. Her body shuddered convulsively. When he stopped fondling her she gave a small gasp of disappointment.

His hand stroked over her tingling bottom and slipped between her thighs. This time her gasp was one of desire. Then he stood up, pulling her with him. With a strong push of his arms he spun her round and sat her down in the chair. He knelt in front of her, between her outstretched legs. He grasped both her wrists and forced her hands over her breasts. She felt her nipples pushing against her palm.

'Proof,' he said. 'Corporal punishment turns you on, Miss Loften. I'll bet that's something you never knew before.' *

She had to admit that it was true, but felt like adding: it depends on the administrator. He moved her hands slowly, forcing her to massage herself.

'Now turn me on,' he said softly. 'Turn me on some more.'

She gazed at him through half-closed eyes, waiting for him to start pleasuring her with his tongue. But he did not move.

'I want to watch you,' he said. His voice was hoarse with suppressed excitement. She was about to move her hands from her breasts but he stopped her. 'Let me see you do it,' he murmured. 'Let me see how you do it when you're alone.'

She moved slowly at first, and then with increasing speed. She rolled her nipples between her fingers. She felt no embarrassment because she knew it was arousing him. She relaxed back in the chair.

'Make yourself come,' he instructed. 'You're ready for it. I'm not going to touch you. You're going to do it all.'

The excitement in his voice acted like a potent aphrodisiac. Again she felt in control and powerful. She opened her legs lazily and reached down to touch herself. The physical man-handling that he had given her had aroused her even more than she realised. She had barely begun to caress herself before she felt the sensations building.

'Make it last, baby,' he muttered. 'Nice and easy. Nice and slow. Make it last.'

But for once she was incapable of obeying him. She wanted to come, and the desire blotted out everything else. Her orgasm was intense and lengthy. She writhed in the chair, her body stiffening and shaking with pleasure. When it was over she sighed deeply and relaxed.

She felt his hands under her arms as he lifted her up and then a pressure on her head as she was made to kneel in front of him. He unzipped his trousers and pulled her towards him. He was so erect and so excited that her mouth had barely touched him before he came, his own release as violent as her own.

Later, when she had bathed and dressed again, and sat opposite him enjoying the delicious Chinese meal he had ordered, she reflected on how civilised they both looked: a lady in a neat black dress and a man in his dark dress-suit trousers and his formal shirt now loosely undone.

She felt warm and comfortable. Was that what good sex did for you? She wondered if he felt the same. Certainly he had gone out of his way to be charming and entertaining during the meal, and once again she was impressed by the range of his knowledge. He was informative without being pedantic, and his conversation proved that his interests were as wide as his choice of books implied.

She made only one effort to bring up the subject of Japan.

'Not that again?' He raised one eyebrow quizzically. 'Why are you so fascinated with my trip to the exotic East?'

Well, she thought, I can hardly say: because I want to know if you're going to make love to Jade Chalfont while you're out there.

'I'm not fascinated,' she said untruthfully. 'Just -mildly interested. Mounting an advertising campaign that appealed to a Japanese market would be quite a challenge for us.'

'Always the businesswoman, aren't you?' His voice hardened. 'And what makes you think you're going to get the chance to do a Japanese campaign?'

'If your negotiations are successful...' she began.

'I'm not your client yet,' he interrupted.

'I didn't think there was any doubt that you would be,' she said coolly.

'Obviously you can't count, Miss Loften,' he said. 'The ninety-day agreement still has some time to run.'

'Forgive me for saying so, Mr Sinclair,' she was icily polite now, 'but there are times when I suspect that you're just using me.'

'You're right.' The trace of a cynical smile touched his mouth. 'And very nice it is, too.'

'I meant, there are times when I doubt if you mean to keep your word.'

It was the first time she had really seen him angry. She sensed the tension in his body.

'I hope you don't mean that, Miss Loften. I've got plenty of faults, but breaking my word isn't one of them.' There was ice in his voice, and in his eyes.

She realised then that James Sinclair would be a very dangerous man to cross. 'I'm sorry,' she said. And meant it.

'Good,' he said, curtly. 'If anyone breaks our agreement, it'll be you.'

But only if you force me, she thought. And the way he was looking at her now she felt he was more than capable of it. The thought was not a comforting one.

'Maybe if I offered you a pound?'

Genevieve came back to the present with start. George Fullerton was standing in front of her desk, smiling.

'You didn't seem interested in a penny,' he said.

'A penny?' she repeated.

'For your thoughts. You were miles away. Thinking about work?'

'Well, yes.' she said. 'In a way.'

'Did you hear the latest about James Sinclair?'

'The Ricky Croft rumour?' She nodded.

'Do you believe it?'

She remembered Sinclair's brief, cold anger the night before. 'Mr Sinclair is quite capable of thumping someone/ she said. 'But I can't imagine why he should choose Ricky Croft.'

'Neither can anyone else/ Fullerton said. 'Have you heard anything more about the Japanese trip?'

'Only that it's definitely on/ she said.

Fullerton nodded. 'Mr Sinclair is fast becoming a very desirable property. And despite the fact that he's still flirting with Lucci's and their attractive swords woman, I'm sure you'll win the battle of the sexes in the end.'

Genevieve wished she was equally confident. The brief glimpse of Sinclair's anger showed her that there was still a lot about him that she did not know. Was he really the manipulator that so many people claimed. A man who used others as a kind of hobby? Was he really just using her, confident that he could get her to break their agreement any time he chose? It had certainly sounded like it.

She was still not sure when she received a parcel of paper napkins with the message: I'M SURE YOU CAN FIND A USE FOR THESE. But she knew that she would find out before long. She was running out of time. The ninety days would soon be over.

Chapter Seven

A
lthough she knew Sinclair would not ring her from Japan, Genevieve still half expected to hear his voice every time she picked up the phone. Instead the calls were routine contacts from friends, people trying to sell her insurance, and one from Philip claiming that he was going to remain celibate for the duration of his college course.

'A group of us are doing it,' he told her. 'Women just aren't worth the hassle.'

'One minute you're frustrated because your girlfriends won't agree to a bondage scene,' she said, 'and the next minute you're planning to be a monk. If s the stupidest thing I ever heard.'

'You think I won't be able to keep it up?'

'I think you won't be able to keep it down,' she said.

'Really, big sister,' he said, crossly. 'I'm not a sex maniac.'

'No,' she said. 'Just a normal human male. You'll have another girlfriend in a week.'

'Like to make a little bet?' he asked.

'Of course not,' she said. 'You never pay up, anyway.'

'I'm really serious about this,' he said. 'You'll see.' * * *

When Sinclair finally rang he sounded relaxed and friendly. He surprised Genevieve by asking how she was, rather than giving her instructions.

'I'm fine, thank you/ she said, hoping that she had managed to disguise the pleasure she felt at hearing his voice again. 'How did you find the Japanese?'

'Very cooperative/ he said.

'And the geisha girls?' she asked, sweetly.

'The same/ he said.

She was tempted to ask whether Jade Chalfont had enjoyed her visit, but pride forbade her to even acknowledge that she knew - or cared - that Jade had gone with him.

'Jade enjoyed herself too/ he added cheerfully, while she was still trying to think of something neutral to say. 'You remember Jade Chalfont, don't you? You met at the antiques fair.'

'Of course I remember/ Genevieve said icily. 'Miss Chalfont does does judo, or karate, or something.'

He laughed. 'Nearly right. She also works for Lucci's. Or did you forget that, too? She was very useful to me in Japan.'

'You've obviously been been working on this Japanese deal for some time/ Genevieve said. 'Why didn't you tell me about it when we discussed your future advertising requirements.'

'Nothing was confirmed/ he said. 'I don't believe in counting chickens. But things are certainly moving now.'

She suddenly felt apprehensive. She knew that Lucci's would be only one of the other agencies courting him. Would he really keep to the unorthodox agreement he had made with her? Was it naive of her to believe him when he insisted that he always kept his word? If he wanted to walk out of her life after the ninety days and never contact Barringtons again, he could do so easily. She was hardly in a position to offer any public objections.

'We'll look forward to the challenge of an international advertising campaign/ she said.

'You haven't got it yet/ he answered, smoothly.

'Is there some doubt?'

'There's nearly two weeks of our agreement to go,' he said. 'Or had you forgotten?'

Again she found herself wondering if he would find it amusing to test her. To try and find something she would not do. When she first began their unusual agreement she had honestly believed that she would do anything sexual for him - and not necessarily with him - in order to get his cooperation. Even if she hated it, she would oblige him. But now things had changed. She had changed. He had changed her. He had changed her life, and her way of thinking.

'I hope you remember Georgie's address?' he said.

'Of course,' she said.

'I've asked her to make you a new outfit/ he said. 'But she'll need your measurements. She's not too busy at the moment, so I've made you an appointment for tomorrow lunch time. I hope that suits you?'

'You give the orders/ Genevieve said, with a coolness she did not feel. 'At least for a couple more weeks.'

She felt certain he was smiling.

'Yes/ he said, 'I do, don't I? Make sure you keep remembering it.'

Genevieve was glad to get out of the office the following day. Several people had expressed reservations about Barringtons' chances of gaining Sinclair's account.