The Perfect Stroke (44 page)

I take Ana into my house and sit on the sofa with her. I keep her in my lap. My hands pet her hair and her arms, getting her used to my touch, training her to need it. She doesn’t try to get off my lap, but she starts looking around the room. I watch her face as she takes it all in, wanting to judge her reaction. She doesn’t know it, but she’s the first woman besides my employees that I’ve allowed through the doors. Then again, something tells me that Ana will be special, otherwise I wouldn’t be pursuing her this hard.

“Do you like it?” I ask, looking around the room and trying to see it from her eyes. I never thought about it really. I hired Miami’s premiere design company to decorate. There’s a lot of white with large splashes of turquoise and orange and lime greens, all colors associated with the beach and life in Miami, or so my decorator said—something about the colors being warm and vibrant. To be honest I never really cared. Now I wonder if it falls short in Ana’s eyes. I’d like to know her thoughts.

“It’s nice.”

That’s it. I may have not had other women here, but instinctively I know they would have noticed the designer’s handiwork. They would have seen the top-of-the-line furnishings and expensive paintings and had dollar signs in their eyes. Ana’s eyes are not like that. In fact, I get the feeling she doesn’t like the house at all and is trying to be
nice.
I don’t normally smile, but that thought has me doing so now. I have to wonder if this is the first of Ana’s surprises for the night.

I stand up and slowly let her go to the floor. She takes a breath as her feet hit the floor, but I still keep her wrapped up in my arms, not wanting to let her go completely yet. Her hands brace on my shoulders as she takes off her high heels. I’m not sure what she thinks she would hurt or why she’s bothering. I’ve never met a woman who has taken her shoes off unless they were stripping for me and a lot of those times they leave their shoes on. Being barefoot obviously feels better. Does she feel that comfortable with me? I make note to have thick carpet installed if this works out. That way, her feet can stay warm.

I lead her down the hall towards the master bedroom. I keep it on the main floor and reserve the upstairs for guest rooms, which are never used. I don’t want guests.
Ever
. Ana is the only one I will break that rule for.

Ana freezes at the entrance. Inside is a large king-size four-poster bed, a large television hanging on the wall and a low line sleek black dresser with matching nightstands. It has a sitting area off to the left of the bed and then behind that is an open master bath with a sunken tub and large steam shower.

“A problem, Pet?”

“Is … Is this the bedroom you want me to stay in?” she says, trying to back away.

“This is my bedroom.”

“I’ll just wait for you outside then. Or you could tell me where your guest room is.”

“You’ll be staying here with me, Ana.”

“I don’t think so.”

I ignore her comment and apply more pressure at her back to get her moving. Her eyes are focused on the bed. I wonder if, like me, she is imagining being tied to it later. I’m biding my time until I can do that very thing. There’s never been a woman in this bed. I’ve never wanted one. But I’m making another exception and it’s for the same reason.
Ana
.

“Have you eaten?” I ask her, pulling my shirt off.

“What? Umm … no, I guess I haven’t.”

“Good. I’ll have the cook heat up dinner for us.”

“You do realize it’s three a.m.,” she says, as I pick up the phone and inform the kitchen staff what I want.

“I don’t keep regular hours, Ana. I pay my staff enough to reflect that and reward them for understanding. I’m going to take a shower while dinner is getting heated. I’ll just be a few minutes. Unless you’d like to join me?” I ask her, putting my shirt on the bed.

“Join you?” she parrots, sitting in the chair that I keep in front of the bed.
Disappointing.
I would much rather have her on the bed waiting for me.

“In the shower.”

“I, uh … I think I will be fine here,” she says.

“A pity.” I like the way her eyes are drawn to my chest almost as much as I like the way the heat rises into her face.

“Listen, Roman, I’m not sure what your game is, but I think it would be best if I leave. I’m not—” Ana starts, heading to the door and showing more fire in this moment than she has since I’ve started toying with her.

“Not what, Ana?” I ask, taking a step and catching her easily. My hand encircles her waist, making sure she doesn’t get away.

“I’m not your plaything. Your
pet
. I don’t understand what is going on between us or what you think tonight is about. I wanted your help to find my brother. Clearly we are not on the same page. I just think it would be best if we ended it here and I get back to my world and you can find someone else to follow you around like a puppy and obey,” she says.

She gets it all out in one large breath, which is also commendable. The heat is blaring across her face, her blush so dark she glows. I commend her on showing backbone. I’m much too used to women following my commands.

My thumb brushes against the pulse point in her wrist, enjoying the erratic beat. More to the point, enjoying how I can see the outline of her nipples against her t-shirt and the way her chest rises and falls as if she’s been running. “Do I affect you, Ana?”

“Affect me?” she whispers, and I watch as her throat works when she swallows.

“Is there a part of you that wants to join me in the shower? To help me take my clothes off and finish what we started when you danced for me? Are you thinking about what it would feel like to give me your body under the hot spray of the water? To feel my hands on you, or my lips? Do you secretly want to give in to that naughty side of yourself and see if the promise in my words would be as good as it sounds?”

Her gasp echoes in the room, but it’s the way it leaves her mouth open that I respond to. I keep my hold on her wrist tight, using it to pull her even closer to me, and then I kiss her for the second time tonight, claiming her lips with a hunger and a need that I didn’t experience before Ana. This time, there’s no wait as her tongue instantly joins mine, warring with it and trying to come out victorious. I let out a deep guttural growl, feral almost. Definitely animal-like, because that’s what Ana reduces me to. Her sweet taste intoxicates me as our tongues rap around each other, fighting for dominance, and then we break apart to stare into each other’s eyes. I may have won the battle, but I’m almost definite that she has captured me in some type of trap.

Ultimately, I don’t think I care as long as I end up between her legs.

I watch as Ana’s fingers go to her bruised lips, touching them and feeling the damage I left behind. I wasn’t gentle. I never intend to be.

“We shouldn’t have done that,” she whispers, but those violet eyes of hers are shining.

“Done what?”

“The dance. It shouldn’t have happened. Just like that kiss shouldn’t have happened. This is wrong, Roman.”

“Don’t bother saving face. Before the night is through, we’ll be doing a lot more.”

“I don’t think you understand. I’m here because of my brother. I don’t just jump into men’s beds. I may take my clothes off for strangers in your club, but that doesn’t mean I do the same in private. I reserve that for a man I know, a man I like, a man I’m dating.”

“You like me.”

“We’re not dating. I don’t think you get what a date even is.”

“I get that it’s for people who are too backwards to admit what they want from each other,” I tell her, advancing on her until she backs into the side of the bed. I move so she falls back on it and then I pin her to it with the weight of my body. I grab each of her wrists and hold them above her head, making her completely helpless. Instead of screaming at me, she cries out and then bites her lip, studying my face. “I’m going to tell you exactly what I want from you, Ana. I want your body. Willingly offered to me anytime and anyway I want it. I want you submitting to me. I want your trust that no matter what I ask, you’ll do it, because you know that when it comes down to it, you will love where I take you. I want—”

“Complete control,” she whispers, interrupting me.

I smile. She gets it, and while she’s tense beneath me, she’s not trying to leave. I’ve made a fortune out of reading faces and, unless I’m totally missing something, she’s more than interested.

“Complete control,” I confirm.

“I’m not sure I’m cut out for this.”

“How about we try it out for one night and see.”

“Why me?”

“Because it’s you I want. And when I want something, I don’t stop until I get it. It’s as simple as that, Ana.”

Her head comes up off the mattress and she presses her lips gently to my mouth. Her sweet little tongue comes out to lick mine. Her eyes are wide open as she whispers.

“Do I get a safe word?” she asks.

I’m intrigued. Has she been in this type of relationship before, or does she just know things from reading or watching movies?

“You won’t need one tonight, pet. But yes, you will get one if this works out.” It’s a small lie. There’s no if; this
is
working out. I’m keeping her—at least until I grow bored. I have a feeling that Ana will hold my interest longer than any woman before her.

“Show me.”

Surprise.
Green light. I wasn’t expecting it. I truthfully thought I would have to work for it harder. I’m a sadistic bastard and I can admit there’s a part of me that’s disappointed I’m not going to have to work for her. The part that controls my dick tells the rest of me to shut the fuck up.

“I plan on it,” I tell her, taking the kiss she offers.

I’ve lost my mind. I know I have. That’s the only explanation. I knew coming here tonight was a risk and I was insane to even think about it, but I thought I could control it—keep ahead of Roman and direct how tonight went.
Maybe
. Maybe I’m just lying to myself. Maybe I still am. Roman doesn’t know my real life. He has no idea who I am and the kind of person I am. My life is so swamped with responsibility, stress, and trying to take care of everyone. Roman is forbidden. Forbidden in ways that should scare the hell out of me and keep me from doing this. It doesn’t. He calls to me, and the lure of giving him complete control is too much to turn down. There’s this little voice inside that tells me I can keep up this image that Roman sees and use it to my advantage. I’ll enjoy a taste of the freedom he’s offering while getting behind his defenses. Getting closer to use him to find my brother sounds cold, but most of life is, and Roman Anthes is as coldhearted as they come. If he finds out, he’ll kill me, but he doesn’t have to find out; I just have to be careful.