The Master (31 page)

Pang. “But can he ever truly get past the fact that I had sex for money? After he told me I was going to this wedding, he also told me he expected a heated negotiation for clothes and
jewels.”

“He doesn’t know he was your first client?”

“He refused to believe me.”

Natalie frowned. “Oh. That sounds not so good.”

I couldn’t disagree. “Now I want to see if he can love me despite my past.”

Jess squinted at me. “Let me get this straight. You want him to love you even though you’re an escort, even though you’re really not?”

“Exactly!”

“But what was all this about you being a hostage?” Natalie asked.

“I got drunk, and we had sex without a condom at my peak time of the month and all.”

Jess nodded. “As you do.”

“He accused me of trying to trap him with a pregnancy and refused to let me go.”

Natalie sighed. “It might have started like that, but his feelings have deepened. Aleks told me he’s never seen Maksim look so satisfied. Not even when they were young. Apparently,
Maksim was an anxious kid who rarely cut up.”

He’d told me he never laughed naturally. “It’s so strange, since I love his humor.”

My phone chimed from my clutch. I fished it out. M Sevastyan:
having fun?

I told the girls, “Hold on, it’s him.”

Me:
I loke natlie & jse! So fn!

M Sevastyan:
ah, the tequila hits. are you being a good girl? or do i need to put you in chastity?

I moaned.

“Cat, did you say something?” Natalie asked.

“No.
Nada.
”

Me:
fuck’g devillll!1

M Sevastyan:
little witch

With a shaking hand, I stowed my phone.

“I
wasn’t going to come down here,” Máxim snapped when he reached me outside the lodge’s garage later that
night. He looked more pissed than I’d ever seen him. “You’re a grown woman. How much trouble could you and Jessica get into in a garage? Then I realized that I didn’t know
who was in the building
before
one of my men followed you here.”

“I knew you had someone following me!” I was slurring. Weird. I wasn’t even that drunk!

“What the fuck were you doing in there?”

“Had work to do,” I said breezily.

With a thunderous expression, he loomed over me. “And by
work,
do you mean a blond
farmer
? If I go in there, what will I find?”

“The limo—and sheer brilliance!” I laughed, then covered my mouth. “There went the surprise!”

Voice like ice, he said, “You’re wearing a man’s coat.”

“Jess bought it for me with most of my pin money.” I whispered, “I suspect she pocketed the money and stole it off a rack. I was coming to get you because I don’t think
she should sleep in the car, but she won’t leave because someone might wash it.”

Jess’s cry sounded from the garage. I turned back. Vasili was exiting, with her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. She wore the other coat she’d “bought.”

Upside down, she yelled, “Faster! Fun!” She slapped his ass with both hands. “Run, bald Russki!”

Vasili said something in Russian that made Máxim’s meany face fade, then the bodyguard toted Jess away.

Sevastyan exhaled a gust of smoky breath. “You were shoe-polishing the limo? I didn’t expect that. You had me very worried, Katya. You didn’t answer any of my texts or
calls.” He signaled someone behind me—probably more
mafiya
security—then started squiring me to ward the lodge.

“Jess thumped me in the boob each time I tried to text, and accused me of being dick whipped. Natalie told me it’s futile to fight her. Psst, it
is
.”

He opened the lodge door, ushering me inside. As warmth washed over me, I frowned. “Did I have a curfew?”

He scrubbed a hand over his mouth. “No, it’s not that—”

“You believed I was sleeping with someone in the garage?” My frown deepened. “Aren’t I
your
date?”

“You are. I didn’t know what to think when you wouldn’t answer your phone. Worrying about my woman is uncharted territory for me. I feared I hadn’t made things clear
enough to you.”

When we reached our room, I asked, “What things?”

He deflected. “Tell me about your night.”

I had to gush: “The polish is the most brilliant thing I have
ever
seen in my
whole entire
life. We shocked ourselves.” I hiccupped.

“You’ve got it all over your face and hair.”

“A small price to pay.” With a condescending pat on his chest, I said, “Máxim, I’m a
very
important person here. Basically the life of the wedding. But with
great power comes great responsibility.” Had I said that last sentence in Spanish?

He chuckled, all his anger gone. “Very important, hmm? What graffiti did you write on the limo? Do I need to go back and take care of it?”

“We settled on ‘He offered his honor, she honored his offer; all night long, he’s on her and off her.’ ”

He laughed, pulling me into the bathroom to start the steam shower. “Come,
solnyshko.
Let’s get you cleaned up. Hold on to my shoulders.” After he removed my heels, he
rose, turning me around. He untied the string of my blouse, saying, “Been wanting to do this all night.” He dragged the garment off and pulled me to face him, whistling low at my black
see-through demi-cup bra. “I like this little number.” Then he brushed a forefinger over one nipple. “You were good for me tonight?”

“Very good.”

He carefully removed my jewelry. “Did Jess behave herself with you? Or did she hit on you?”

I cocked out a hip. “Of course she did. I’m a hot
mamí
! But I told her I was with you. And she and I got into a fight anyway.”

“Why would you two fight?”

“She insisted we should write stuff on the
inside
of the limo too. I tried to explain the law of diminishing returns, and she told me to eat a dick.”

Why did he keep laughing at me? He reached around to unzip my skirt. “And now I get to care for my drunken female. Still more uncharted territory for me.” He pulled my skirt down,
leaving me in only my new lingerie set.

“Drunken? I’m
fine
.”

“Indeed.” His gaze roamed over my garters and hose, my demi bra and tiny thong. “If I’d known you were hiding this, we wouldn’t have made it out of the
suite.” He unclasped my bra and tossed it away, giving both nipples a sweet nuzzle. Then he unfastened my garters, kneeling to roll down my hose and peel my thong to my ankles. With a groan,
he pressed a heated kiss to my bare mons, inhaling my scent.

I threaded my fingers through his hair. “Umm. I love your mouth.” More slurring?

He made a sound of frustration, rising once more. “Despite your sexy garters, I’m going to give you a reprieve tonight, which means I’m a better man than I’d ever
suspected. Come on, in you go.” He led me to the shower, then stripped to follow me in.

The leather lead around his neck caught my attention. I sighed, “You had that on?”

“You wore those earrings, and I wore the key.”

“It drives me crazy to see it on you.”

He gave me his devilish grin. “I had an idea.” He lathered up a washcloth and gently scrubbed my forehead and cheeks.

I raised my face. “You gave me the earrings, but I didn’t give you the key.”

“In a way you did.”

Because I was participating in his kinks? “Hmm. Do you like me when I wear my belt?”

“Oh, I do.” The washcloth descended to my neck.

“You like me when I cook and sing?”

“I like you very much when you cook and sing.” He soaped up my breasts, his breaths coming quicker.

“Did you like me around your brother and your friends?”

“When you quipped that you were a thief of hearts, I would’ve sworn you are.”

“Aww. I like you too. I’ve learned about you.”

Had he tensed? “I wondered if others would speak of me to you.”

“Huh?
Qué cosa?
I’m talking about during our two weeks.” In a proud tone, I said, “If it’s past twelve, today is our anniversary. We met two weeks
ago.” This was important—I wish I wasn’t slurring so much!

“Ah, so it is. And what have you learned?” He washed my belly, making the muscles trip.

“I can tell your real smiles from your fake ones. When you
half-
smile, you always curve the left corner of your lips. You don’t overpronate when you run. Your eyes get lively
when you’re amused but also when your brain is engaged. You need your brain engaged as much as you need sex. You write the number seven with the sexiest little slash. I make you happy, and
you can speed-read.”

“My clever Cat.” With his free hand, he stroked between my legs.

I sucked in a breath. “Natalie let it slip that you’re a member of a sex club in Paris.”

His fingers roved. “That’s true. Anyone who is rich enough and has those leanings is a member of Le Libertin. I’ll take you next week.”

“Can’t go. Or I’ll break rule number three.”

“You have rules, do you? How many?” His forefinger tickled my clit.

“S-six critical ones. If you follow the rules you live to fight another day.” He’d think I meant figuratively.

“Tell me about them, love.”

“If I tell you about the rules, I’d break rule number one. Besides, I need to talk to you about something else.”

“Of course. What is it?”

“You know how you said everybody wants something from you? I do too.”

“Yes, but with you, I’m
very
inclined to give. What can I get for you? A horse? You want Chestnut, don’t you? Easy enough.”

I rose on tiptoe, pulling him down to whisper at his ear, “I want you to have anal sex with me.”

He inhaled sharply. “I was already aching from the sight of you in those garters. And now bathing you? Don’t tease me further. I’m not made of stone, Katya.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re drunk. I’m not going to take advantage of you.” Yet even as he said this, his hand had wrapped around me to squeeze my ass.

“Jess said that being tipsy is okay for the first time, because I’ll be relaxed.”

“You discussed this with Jessica?”

“She said I was the only one at the wedding who hasn’t done it. She said that made me Amish. I’m not Amish.
Yo soy católica.
Kind of.”

A strained laugh. “I’m sure there are others who are . . . Amish at this wedding.”

“Your brother did it to Natalie—”

“Do
not
want to hear about that.”

“I used to have a friend whose boyfriend always encouraged her to go to girls’ night out, because she’d come home drunk and they’d get
freaky.
Can’t we be
like that?”

“Katya . . .”

“I always do
your
kinks. And I’ve never asked you for anything. Do you realize that? Well, except for you to let me go.”

His shoulders stiffened under my palms.

“You
did
promise me you’d do this to me.” I grasped his hard cock, stroking as I whispered, “Please,
mi amor,
I know you’ll make it good.”

“I fear hurting you. I’d need to prepare you.”

“There’s bath oil on the ledge.” My hand dropped to his heavy balls, kneading them the way he had the night of my persuasion.

He groaned. “You’ll hate me in the morning.”

“I’ll hate you if you don’t.”

“Ah, Cat, you’ve just sealed your fate.” His tone reminded me of our first night, when he’d told me I was about to get fucked hard.

Soon, I’d fulfill a fantasy! Sizzling thrills coursed through my veins, from my head to my toes, clearing some of the tequila’s fog. I wanted to experience every second fully.

He snagged the oil, then pulled me through the steam over to the shower’s wooden bench. “I want you to straddle me.” He sat, patting his thighs for me to join him.

When I stepped over one of his knees, he grabbed my ass, lifting me above his lap. “Hold on to my shoulders and lean into me. Wrap your arms around me.”

I did.

“Put your feet flat on the bench. Trust me. I’ve got you.”

When I did, my pussy pressed against his shaft. I rocked, just as he bucked. In sync.