The Tantric Principle (11 page)

He moaned.

“Feel good?” she whispered naughtily, her hands coasting over his bare chest and massaging his muscles. “Because this is only the beginning. I’m going to make you come so hard you’re going to reach heaven. And then I’m going to do it again. And again.” Jesus, he was going to die tonight. Grant pulled at the restraints and suddenly feared getting out of control. What if he couldn’t be in command of his emotions? What if he couldn’t guarantee her pleasure? The old fears rose up like twisted snakes and seethed inside of him.

Deep down, he realized he was afraid of this woman. Afraid she would push him beyond his safe boundaries and demand he give everything. Both physically and emotionally.

After his ex-wife left, he realized he needed to save a bit of himself or he may never recover from another emotional assault. Yoga and tantra helped with the control. Helped him stay hidden. Arianna pushed and challenged, but as long as he had led in the bedroom, he’d been safe.

Tonight, he was safe no longer.

“Baby, untie me. I want to touch you, too. I missed you so much.” She laughed again like a witch as she pulled just out of reach. “Don’t think so. Now stop talking.”

Her head dipped again and she was licking at his nipples, testing the hard muscles in his chest she had just massaged. Down to his belly button to dip into the slight indentation. He hissed out a breath when those fingers suddenly reached the edge of his boxers and lingered.

Grant waited for her to rip them off and get right to it, but that would have been granting mercy.

Instead, she gently explored his pulsing length against the thin cotton, stroking so gently he thought he would go mad with anticipation.

Then put her full mouth against him and blew.

His hips shot up. She licked him through the cotton, dampening the fabric as she ran her teeth gently over the ridges of his cock. Inch by inch, she dragged the waistband downward, exposing another expanse of bare flesh and licking him, stroking him, making him—

“Arianna.” Her name stumbled from his lips, an attempt at a command, and she soothed him with low murmuring sounds that raked across his fogged ears.

“Slow, we’re going slow.” She used his words ruthlessly on him, and Grant realized he had never felt as vulnerable as he did right now, completely at her mercy and on the verge of begging her to finish what she’d started. The fabric finally came down and she discarded his boxers with a quick toss.

He waited for the feel of her wet mouth on his flesh. Waited. Waited.

She rose up, straddling his thighs. With slow motions, she reached behind her back and unclasped her bra. Her glorious breasts spilled out, the ripe mounds crowned with ruby red nipples, pointed and hard. She tossed the bra aside. Then she began running her fingers over herself, massaging her breasts, tweaking her nipples. She moaned at her self pleasure and all the while he gritted his teeth and made bargains with God to do anything for the chance to touch her.

“What do you want?”she asked. She wet her two fingers and put them to her nipples, making them gleam in the moonlight.

His voice was hoarse with strain. “I want to touch you.” She leaned down and swung her breasts in front of his face. With a moan, she allowed him suck on her nipples with his tongue. Her skin was warm, her nipples hard and silky like red cherries, and she moaned in pleasure. Minutes later, she pulled away, and he felt as if he had lost a part of himself.

“Back to business.” Arianna bent over once again, her fingers cupping his erection. She slowly rubbed up and down, exploring each ridge, gently caressing the sensitive tip where a bead of liquid had leaked. “Talk to me, Grant,” she whispered, her breath fanning his cock. “Tell me.” He cursed fluently then said the words. “Take me in your mouth. Goddamnit, right now.” Her mouth opened and she took him in. Wet, silky heat closed around him and moved, the suction so perfect he felt himself lift unconsciously and give her more. His thoughts a jumble of images, caught in a storm of sexual frenzy and feeling, he gave himself over to her and let her pleasure him. Tighter and tighter the tension spiraled. His fists gripped the post helplessly as he tongue massaged him and sucked him. He cried out as he came inside of her mouth, pushed over the edge of control. He arched under her as he exploded, and she took it all, her mouth gentling as she soothed him in his aftermath.

He didn’t know how much time had passed. His body lay weak against the tangled sheets, her head resting on his thighs, her coppery hair spread in glory over his pelvis. Grant waited for air while he floated, unsure of what had just happened. She slid up his body and tucked her chin against her chest, her leg hooked over his.

And Grant felt like he was finally home.

Their breathing evened out and softly mingled. Finally, he managed to form actual words.

“And the student surpasses the teacher. Am I dead?”

She laughed. “Not yet. But the night’s not over.”

He dropped a kiss on her head and wondered how the hell he’d gotten through two full weeks without her. Then realized he really hadn’t. He had just been going through the motions.

“We need to talk, baby. I’m so sorry about what happened. Untie me so I can finally touch you.” Her response practically stunned him. “We’re not talking tonight, Grant. I still haven’t had my lesson.”

“What lesson?”

“Tantra.” She rolled over and on top of him. Her naked breasts pressed into his chest, and her smooth legs entwined with his. Amazingly, he felt himself stir.

“I think you rocked the lesson,” he managed to force out.

She smiled. Wicked and tempting as Eve herself in full naked glory, she shook her head in mock discipline. “That wasn’t tantra. That was you getting a lesson in control, or rather, learning to not be in control. Tantra is about harnessing your sexual energy, about connecting so deeply with your partner you become one. It’s about giving pleasure to the extreme in a slow, steady pace. Now, let’s begin.”

Grant swore he didn’t feel panic, but it was something very close. He tried to get off the bed but she pushed him down while she laughed. Then her mouth took his.

Once again, she sank into the kiss with a deep, steady rhythm that gave him no choice but to follow. She owned him with slow, easy thrusts of her tongue. She killed him with caressing, talented fingers as she explored every ridge and muscle. She dug her fingernails deep into his ass and scraped down over the back of his thighs and then took him back in her mouth.

He cursed fluently. So gently she licked him, allowing him to grow hard again at his own pace with no thought of rushing. When he was finally rock hard again, she climbed on top, parted her legs, and pushed his cock into her wet pussy.

Stars exploded behind his eyes as he was enclosed by her heavenly tight heat. She took him deep and rode him slow, setting an easy pace that he ached to demolish. Her hair fell down her back, her eyes half shut in drunken pleasure as she lifted up and down, up and down, until. . .

.

She slid off him right before the explosion. “Not yet, baby, you’re not ready,” she whispered in his ear. She bit his earlobe, then soothed with her tongue. All the while, she kept up an array of dirty talk as her hands cupped, stroked and massaged his scrotum, his ass, his penis.

He closed his eyes to focus on control, but it was long gone, her laughter ringing in his ears as he threw pride to the wind and begged for her mercy.

Suddenly, she was on him again, sliding over his cock buried to the hilt in her silken heat.

Her green eyes blazed with passion and demand as she grasped his hips. “Now I’m going to make you come again. Come inside of me, Grant.”

She moved.

Arianna took him on a wild ride of sexual pleasure and torment, stopping when he was at the edge to briefly suck on him again, then sliding back again. Time passed, then stopped.

Broken pleas came from his lips until she quickened the pace, her breath coming in hard ragged pants, and he felt himself climbing up, almost there and he came hard and exploded inside of her.

He gave it all, control and thought and planned seduction all shot to hell. And he didn’t give a shit. Grant wondered if he would ever care about anything else in his life other than having this woman as his wife, in his bed and in his life.

He was barely aware of her shuddering above him in her own climax, then sinking back down, her skin slightly damp.

Then he had his own epiphany, naked in bed with the woman he loved.

He was a complete ass.

She loved him. She had asked him to accept her choice, to be there for her when she chose him over a career she loved. Instead, in his arrogance and ego, he had turned his back on her offer, smug in his superiority and martyrdom. He was no martyr. He was just scared shitless of allowing her to choose him over work. He never wanted to be put into that position, and put his own fears on Arianna.

The irony was almost comical. He wanted her to stay, and she was ready to give him her whole self. Instead, he threw the offer back in her face so he could be alone with his lousy pride.

Grant prayed it wasn’t too late.

“Stay.” He pulled his restrains to the limit and was able to tangle his fingers in her hair to force her to look at him. Green eyes still drugged halfway with pleasure, she looked deep into his eyes and he let her see it all. “I love you. I was an ass. I see that now. I’m asking you to stay.” The clock ticked.

He waited.

Then she pulled away and got off the bed. She dressed with quick economic motions and stood beside him. Trapped by the handcuffs, he watched helplessly. When she finally turned back, one tear ran down her cheek.

Grief shattered through him.

“I didn’t do this for revenge or to show you what you’ve been missing. I wanted to give you what you’ve given me over the last few months. Pleasure. Intimacy. You opened my eyes to something new, and you made my body reach heights I don’t think I’ll ever experience again. I needed you to see what I feel for you every time you took me in your arms. But you wouldn’t let me. This was the only way I knew to reach you.” She paused. Then her voice came out in a ravaged whisper. “It’s too late. I made promises. I have an apartment and a new life. I would have done anything if you had just given me a sign. Just. . . ” She trailed off and dashed her hand across her cheek in frustration. “I love you. I will always love you, Grant Madison. But I can’t stay.”She reached down and tossed a tiny key on the bed next to him. Then left.

By the time Grant had unlocked himself and raced outside, she was already gone.

* * * *

The team assembled in the conference room to hear the day’s stats. Her earpiece hooked securely over her ear, Arianna paced and gave a list of orders for the Rosebud Account. They were going after Victoria’s Secret and it was going to be a war. One she intended on winning.

Her gaze swept the room. Six people, four men, two women, sat waiting for instruction. It had taken a while to bond, but after the last three weeks of late nights and weekends, she felt as if they were almost a second family.

As creative director, she was in charge of the entire account for the Superbowl ad. They’d just secured a killer supermodel for the shoots, an edgy new Hip Hop artist for the music, targeting the twenty-something woman who wanted to rock her man’s world.

This was no Playtex woman and Arianna was committed one hundred percent to the project. Her job pretty much depended on it. She loved that her team was completely dedicated also, and their ability to hustle showed in the work.

A beep sounded in her ear and she pushed the button. “Yes?”

“You have someone waiting in your office.”

She blew out an impatient breath. “Kathy, I’m in a meeting, no time. Who is it?” The receptionist paused. “He wouldn’t give a name. Just said it was urgent and he’d wait in your office. I think it’s personal.”

Her heart paused, then continued beating. Of course, it wouldn’t be him. Arianna squashed the thought like a creepy spider and cursed her unconscious. Damnit, she had something good going on here. She’d walked away with her head held high and a broken heart, but she was healing. Except at night, when he invaded her dreams like a blood sucking vampire.

At least she had the daytime under her strict control. Until something stupid like this came up.

An unknown visitor, and suddenly images of chick flick movies and airport “I love you's” rummaged through her head.

“Fine, I’ll be there in minute.” She clicked off. “Guys, let’s take a break, I have someone in my office.” She threw out some orders and marched down the hall, nodding to some of the other employees as she made her way through the building.

She loved Chicago. The fast pace was close to New York, and the creative energy of the satellite firm was off the charts. Her conference calls with her boss were positive. The buzz on the business street confirmed she was good at her job and began to earn the respect of the upper executives. She nodded to her secretary as she opened the door to her office. She closed it behind her.

And came face to face with Grant.

God, he looked good. He stood in the corner of the room, looking over her photos and ads displayed on the wall. Lean legs clad in tight, worn jeans. A white button down shirt, left open at the neck, rolled up at the sleeves, displayed sinewy, muscled arms made rock solid by doing over a hundred pushups per day. Her gaze greedily swept his length, settling on his face. His hair was tied back in a long ponytail. His features always struck her as too hard to be classically attractive, but the harnessed masculine energy reflected in the gleam of onxy eyes, and sculpted mouth threw handsome right in the trash basket.

He turned and looked at her, seemingly relaxed and at ease. The last night they’d spent together flashed through her mind. Raw sex and intimacy for long hours. The images would never leave her. She didn’t think another man could ever wipe the last vestige of him coming inside of her, finally free of his control and belonging completely to her.

Yet she had left. It had been too late.

Arianna kept her voice neutral and prayed for strength. “To say this is a surprise is an understatement. Hello, Grant. Welcome to Chicago.”