The Nature of Cruelty (32 page)

His hand roams over my hip as he ducks his head and plants a kiss on the hollow of my throat. He’s staring at me adoringly when he answers, “It’d be Lana who did that, actually, Olivia dear.”

Her mouth drops open, and for a second she doesn’t breathe a word. “Well,” she says finally, all huffy. “I’d better be going. Enjoy your
lunch
.” She puts a snappy emphasis on the word “lunch,” catty as you please.

With that she strolls out of the office, swinging her hips as if trying to communicate with her body language that she doesn’t give a shit.

Robert groans and shakes his head. “And to think I took a beating for that woman.”

“Is she back with her husband now?” I ask, far too eagerly.

He eyes me in surprise. “How did you know?”

“I heard the name Olivia and put two and two together. So, is she?”

“Her husband makes a half a million pounds a year. What do you think?”

“I’ll take that as a yes, then.”

Jimmy and the other man make their way past us, nodding goodbye to Robert and carrying on with their “all-business” chat. Robert closes the door and swings me around, planting his lips on mine and coaxing my mouth open with his tongue. I’ve just started unbuttoning his shirt when the phone on his desk rings. He draws away from me reluctantly and goes to answer it.

I take the opportunity to have a look around his office.

“Yes, that’s perfect. Bring it on up,” he says, and then puts the phone down, glancing at me. “Food is on its way.”

I nod and stare at the quintessential London view out his window. He growls seductively and begins striding toward me. The look in his eye gives me a jolt of nerves, and I shriek with laughter, running away from him. He chases me around his desk for a good three minutes straight before there’s a knock on the door. I lean against the glass window, trying to catch my breath. Who knew I had it in me to be so playful?

“Come in,” Robert calls, and a short, blond guy walks in carrying two brown paper bags and a bottle of sparkling grape juice. He places all of it on the table and leaves after Robert tips him. I make a quick trip to the bathroom to take my medicine. Feeling flirtatious upon returning, I go and sit on Robert’s chair instead of one of the three situated in front of his desk. It’s a big leather swivel number, comfortable as heaven and expensive as hell.

As I rummage through the bags, I find a Greek salad, sourdough bread, hummus, and dipping oils.

“This looks delicious,” I say, taking a bite out of a piece of bread. When I look up, Robert is standing before me with his hand outstretched. I take it, and he pulls me from the seat before swiftly taking my place and positioning me on his lap. His arms come around my waist to reach for the food, and I let my head fall back onto his shoulder.

I feel his low voice vibrate against my back when he asks, “You hungry?”

“Starving,” I whisper as he picks up some bread, dips it in oil, and brings it to my mouth. I take a bite, and he purrs in approval. I should elbow him in the ribs for acting silly, but I’m actually finding that I enjoy him feeding me.

“So,” I begin casually, after several minutes of Robert giving me bites of food and me returning the favour for him. “What was your meeting with Olivia about?”

He chuckles. “And Jimmy and Conrad, you mean?”

“Uh, yeah, and those two,” I say, feigning forgetfulness and pouring some juice into a glass on Robert’s desk.

“One of our movie star clients has a big premiere happening this weekend, so we were just making some preparations. Olivia will be accompanying him to the event. She’s brilliant with the press, knows just how to work them.”

“Huh.”

Robert’s hand moves up my thigh. I feel his breath on the back of my neck when he asks huskily, “Are you jealous of her, little red?”

I shrug. “It’s hard not to be when I know you slept with her behind her husband’s back and then you talk about her all complimentary like that.”

“We were filling a void for one another. Her husband is rich, but he’s a wet dish rag in the sack. I stepped in and gave her the thrill she was seeking. I wanted a woman with red hair, so she stepped in and let me have her.”

When he says this last sentence, he trails his hand through my hair, emphasising his unspoken point. He’d wanted a woman with red hair because he wanted me, wanted me for years but couldn’t have me.

“Okay, I’m not jealous anymore,” I tell him happily.

“I thought as much,” he replies, grinning and pushing the food aside. “So, what do you think of my office?”

“It’s delightful,” I say sarcastically, giving him a funny look.

He laughs. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s a soulless high flyer’s office in an expensive area code, Robert. What do you expect me to think of it?”

“I expect you to think it’s sexy and want to do naughty things with me in it,” he breathes, lips flicking over the back of my neck.

“Well, when you put it like that, I suppose I might be tempted. Do you make a habit of this type of thing?”

“I’ve never had sex in my office, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Not even with Olivia? It would have been awfully handy to just slip in here when you two were having your little tryst.”

“We only ever saw each other outside work. Olivia is the ultimate professional. She’d never risk her job, not even for the hottest piece of ass in the building,” he jokes and licks behind my ear.

Giggling and sighing at the same time, I shift in his lap, feeling him grow harder as his hands roam my body. I lick my lips and turn to kiss his jaw, my every nerve ending alight with the anticipation of what he might do to me right here in the light of day, with his co-workers just outside the door.

He takes my earlobe between his teeth and softly bites. “Being inside you last night was the best thing I’ve ever felt.”

His words cause a pink blush to spread over my body.

I bring my hand to the bulge in his pants, and exhilaration runs through me when he groans loudly. It gives me a heady sense of power that I can affect him like this. An image of me kneeling on the floor, giving him a blowjob, enters my head. I try not to think too much and just allow my body to lead the way as I slide out of his lap. My knees hit the carpet, and Robert stares down at me with his mouth hanging open, comprehension of my intentions in his gaze.

“Lana,” he rasps.

I give him a teasing grin. “Robert.”

Then I reach for his belt buckle and pull it open before releasing the button at his fly. Drawing down the zip, I glance up and see his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. If anyone were to enter the office right now, they’d just see Robert sitting at his desk, none the wiser as to what’s really happening underneath.

He assists me in pulling his pants down his thighs, his erection popping free. I always feared the idea of giving a guy head, thinking it would be a difficult and complicated procedure, but with Robert I’m eager for it. I want to make him feel good.

“Christ,” he breathes as I bring my lips down to kiss the tip of his penis. Experimentally, I open my mouth and take about an inch of him inside.

“Ah, fucking hell. Lana, I love you.” His jaw tightens, and he grips the leather arms of his chair.

His proclamation alone makes me wet, and I yearn for some kind of friction down there. In my head I hear the words
I love you, too
echo in some deep, dark recess, but I daren’t give them sound.

Opening my mouth wider, I take as much of him into me as I possibly can and then begin moving up and down. One of his hands reaches forward and grips my hair, wrapping it around his wrist. He pulls softly, groaning. I bring my mouth to the head before swirling my tongue around and causing him to let out a string of swear words. Between my legs pulses with the need to be touched as I increase my speed, so I surreptitiously reach under the hem of my dress and begin stroking myself beneath my knickers. I’m still so tender down there from last night, but the gentle pressure of my own fingers feels amazing. Electrifying. Forbidden.

I just need a little relief, because doing this to Robert is turning me on far more than I expected it to.

“Oh, God, are you touching yourself?” he asks, craning his neck. Trust Robert not to miss a beat.

I don’t say anything, but instead let him fall from my mouth and then drag my tongue along the length of him.

“Shit, you
are
touching yourself. Make yourself come for me, baby. Ah, that feels amazing.” He slips his hand inside my top and under my bra to pinch my nipple. I feel an orgasm building as I continue sucking him off, rubbing my clit faster. When he gives my nipple one last hard pinch, I convulse as I come, at the same time feeling him spurt into my mouth. For a brief moment I don’t know what to do. This is my first blowjob, and I don’t know what the proper etiquette is. A second later I swallow, wincing slightly at the foreign sensation.

I let my head fall against Robert’s thigh as he strokes my hair.

He’s sitting back in his chair, a look of pure, unadulterated desire in his dark eyes. “We’re going to cause some damage together, little red,” he tells me, a slight tremble to his voice. His thumb brushes across my bottom lip, slipping inside my mouth and then back out again.

He looks awed, like he never expected me to put on the performance I just did. Well, that makes two of us, because I never expected it, either. He stands to pull his trousers back up, and I take a napkin from his desk, wiping at my mouth.

“You can use the bathroom to clean up if you’d like.”

“I would, thanks,” I say, rising from the floor. “Do you want to go first?”

He sniffs and looks away. “No, I’m good.”

Okay. Maybe he likes having my spit all over him? When I return from the bathroom, I sit on Robert’s lap again, and he just holds me for the rest of his lunch break as we pick at the last bits of food. I get so relaxed as he runs his hands up and down my arms affectionately that I almost fall asleep. Just as my eyes are closing, though, the office door flies open, and in walks Alan. Jeez, I know it’s his company and all, but he could have at least knocked first.

He takes in the two of us cuddling and immediately puts two and two together. “Hello, Lana, lovely to see you again,” he says with a practiced smile before glancing at Robert and raising an eyebrow. “So, this is happening, is it? Can’t say I saw it coming.”

Robert kisses my forehead, smiling down at me. “Yeah, it is.”

“Right well, very good. If you’re finished with your lunch, I’d like a word.”

I begin scrambling out of Robert’s lap and fixing my dress.

“I’ll see you back at the house, yeah?” I say quietly, giving him a soft kiss on the lips.

“Yeah, see you then,” he says, running his hand down my hair and pulling me in for a deeper kiss.

Alan nods to me as I leave and then closes the door. I hope he doesn’t give Robert too much of an earful for his behaviour yesterday. Unable to help myself, I stay a moment and listen in.

“You better be keeping your wits about you with that one,” says Alan, his distinctive voice sounding clearly through the door. Is he talking about me?

“I’m not discussing Lana with you, Dad. Now, what did you want to speak about?”

Oh, I guess he is talking about me, then.

“I mean, at least Kara comes from money,” Alan goes on, “and even she did a number on you with that apartment. Lana Sweeney hasn’t got a penny to her name. She’s clearly only with you for the advantages it will bring her.”

Okay, what the fuck? Alan’s tone is so recognizable. After all, I spent half my teens listening to Robert mimic it. Yeah, his father is definitely the one who taught him how to perfect the art of casual cruelty. I’m half tempted to walk back in and tell Alan where he can stick his opinions.

“Lana doesn’t care about shit like that, so stop judging her by your standards. Can we please change the subject?”

Alan lets out an exaggerated sigh. “Fine, fine, but remember I warned you. Now, about yesterday…”

Once he starts talking business, I leave them to it. I exit the building, still shocked at how Alan spoke of me after being so charming and polite seconds earlier.

At Speaker’s Corner I find Fareed standing among a group of men, a fat brown cigar between his fingers, giving a speech titled “The Problem with David Cameron.” He’s divided his argument into six sections, one of which is simply called “David’s Hair.” He spends a good five minutes dissecting the Prime Minister’s method for covering up his bald patch and how it reflects his political actions. It must be a pretty good method, because I’ve never noticed said patch. He’s going for the comedic approach more than anything deeply political, and those listening seem to be enjoying his jokes.

He spots me just as he’s coming to the end of his argument, and salutes me with his cigar. When he’s finished, a dark-haired man steps up, intending to put some questions to Fareed, but he brushes him off and says he has somewhere he needs to be.

“Where are you off to?” I ask, smiling as he passes me.

He shrugs, glancing back at the group, who are continuing the topic he brought up without him. “Not in the mood for questions today, girl. Sometimes you just want to say your piece and leave it at that.”

And then, quite abruptly, he stubs out the end of his cigar on the metal fence and walks away. Huh. He’s in an odd mood. Then again, his personality as a whole can be just plain odd at times. It kind of defeats the purpose of giving a speech if you’re not going to allow questions after, but everyone has their own way of doing things, I suppose.

When I notice an old guy in a long beige coat giving me the glad eye, I decide it’s time to leave. London can be an exciting place to live. However, the downside is that you have to be wary of the creeps and weirdos lingering around every corner. It comes with the territory of a big population.

At the house I do my regular foot therapy massage and then get some study done. I had planned on doing lots of reading this summer, but Robert has kind of monopolized my time. Whenever he’s around, I tend to forget everything else. Not sure if that’s a positive or a negative.