White Lies (4 page)

He did
n’
t know what to object to, boinking or girlfriend, so he settled for thwapping her with a pillow while she giggled hysterically
.“
Let me know if you need anything
,
” he said.

“I’
ll let Sophia know
,
” she said
.“
You, I am too smart to disturb
.
”

CHAPTER THREE

As soon as he was outside of Clair
e’
s sight, the rage and fear rose in his throat, threatening to choke off his air. Aaron Schwartz had been part of his mothe
r’
s sphere for so long that Alex had stopped really worrying about the ma
n’
s intentions or designs. His pale, watery eyes were just part of the scenery in his mothe
r’
s house, which Alex had left as soon as he could. That spending too much time around Olivia was incredibly frustrating was one of the few things that Alex and Philip had always been able to agree on. His mother tended towards manipulation, and given the way sh
e’
d lived the last 30 years of her life, Alex could understand why, but it was incredibly tiring to always try and guess which of the many possible motivations was driving her now.

H
e’
d never once considered Clair
e’
s safety in that house. It should have been his first and only concern, and instead h
e’
d just fled as soon as he could, and left her on her own. One more sin on the list for which he would have to atone. But later.

Now, he was driven by a very different need.
His body surged with energy and adrenaline that he could
n’
t control, could
n’
t tamp back down. He needed an outlet for it.

He pushed open the door to Zoe
y’
s roo
m—
he was already thinking of it like that, something which made part of him smile deep dow
n—
and kept tight control over his energy. She had kicked off her shoes, and was stretched out on the chaise, reading. Sh
e’
d pulled reading glasses from somewhere, and twisted her hair up into a messy bun, secured with a pencil. He wanted to cross the room to her, rip her sweater off and nip at her breasts until she screamed, but he held himself still, forced himself to stay cal
m—
until she smiled. There was so much acceptance in that small expression, so much invitation. She looked like a librarian fantasy come to life, and she wanted him, rampant energy and all.

He closed the door quietly behind him, but it was the last thing he expected to do quietly.

***

The tension in Ale
x’
s eyes made Zoe
y’
s breath catch in her throat. The rippling of his chest as he pulled his shirt over his head did more than that.

She loved the smooth planes of his body, the sense of strength without the intensity of a guy who spent more time at the gym than anything else. Sh
e’
d never preferred men who looked like bodybuilders; Alex had a healthy musculature, and it made her body light on fire.

He crossed the floor quickly, settling down onto the chaise with her, his body pressing her down into its soft cushions. There was nothing soft about his embrace. His hands were hard, sharp, twisting and pinching at her body as she clung to him, etching her back with her nails and his shoulder with her teeth.

“
I do
n’
t want to hurt you
,
” he muttered, his teeth closed around her nipple through the layer of her sweater. Sh
e’
d shed her bra when sh
e’
d leaned back to read.

“I’
ll tell you if you do
,
” she said. It was naive to say he could
n’
t; she knew he could. She also knew he would
n’
t do it on purpose.

Her sweater came off then, tossed across the room. He yanked at her jeans, and she heard the denim tear. He cursed, slowed down, and she dug her nails viciously into his shoulders to spur him on. He growled, and one more yank pulled her jeans free. Her panties followed, joining them on the floor. His own clothes came off, just as unceremoniously, and he was naked and splendid before her, his cock pulsing hard and gleaming with his fluid. His eyes were powerful and strong, and she reached out for him, wrapping her arms around him as he kissed her.

“
Promised to lick you
,
” he said, softly, as if he were reminding himself. He pulled back from her a little, his forehead resting on hers as he seemed to struggle to catch his breath
.“
I promised
.
”

“
Another time
,
” she replied
.“
Now, I think we both want something else
.
”

Gratitude shone in his eyes, and he did
n’
t waste time. He reached past her for a condo
m—
she spared a single moment to be amused at how he seemed to have them stashed everywhere he ever was, but she pushed the train of thought away before she could wonder how many other women h
e’
d had here. He sheathed himself in it, and then slid into her, his eyes fluttering closed in satisfaction as he plunged deep inside of her. She arched her back, accepting him utterly.

He thrust into her for a moment, almost idly, and then he pulled back, tugging at her hip
.“
Turn over. I want to see these bruises for myself
.
”

Her body sighed a little at the emptiness, but she obliged him, turning over, pressing her ass back to him. He knelt behind her, running his hands over her flesh. He paused every so often, planting his hands very carefully, and she imagined that he was matching finger tip to finger tip on some of the more livid bruises. The tip of him pressed into her, and as he slid into her, he let out such a groan of satisfaction that her body shuddered around him. He thrust into her again, a little more attentively this time, one hand holding her hip where h
e’
d bruised her, the other holding the back of her neck.

The sensation was very different than the spanking the other night. She had the same sense that she could ask him to stop at any point, and he would, without question, but instead of pain making her walk that fine line tonight, it was the feeling that he was controlling her, that he was taking her, in the more archaic sense of the word, without regard to what she was feeling. No, that was
n’
t it. Trusting that she was enjoying what he was doing, and trusting that if that enjoyment stopped, she would say something.

She wanted a different angle, more of their bodies pressing together. Her forehead was pressed into the couch, her ass up in the air, and she shifted, bracing her hands against the arm of the chaise, raising her torso until she was up at an angle from where he was buried in her. She had to spread her thighs wider to keep him from slipping out, but in return, he pressed into the front of her, rubbing deliciously over the delicate spot inside of her. One of his hands went from her hip to her breast, teasing and slapping at her nipple as he thrust into her, and sweat broke out along the line of her back. She brought one of her own hands to her clit and teased at the engorged nub. It was always a strange sensation, touching herself when she was so full of cock, and sometimes it did
n’
t do much to increase the arousal she was feeling, but this tim
e—
this time she swelled with the sensation, with his hot breath on her skin. His thrusts were pushing into frantic, his body shaking as he pounded into her, and while it felt amazing, her orgasm was still miles away when he shuddered into her, spasming and groaning into her ears. She let him carry her down to the chaise as he got rid of the condom, then tugged her back against him.

She let herself be wrapped up in the warm heat of his body as he snuggled her close, nipping at her neck and shoulder in an almost friendly gesture, his cock still giving little twitches as his body wound down from the heated peak.

It was almost a surprise as his fingers slid through her damp curls to brush her clit. She gasped, her hips bucking against him; with her pussy relaxed and soft again, the sensation ran through her like a freight train
.“
You do
n’
t have to
,
” she gasped out.

He gave a breathy chuckle in her ear, and his other hand slid underneath her, pulling her to rest slightly on his chest, and give his hand better access to her nipples. Electricity surged through her as if h
e’
d completed a circuit. Her body arched as she cried out, nothing holding her down or pressing her into the earth
.“
Oh my
,
” he breathed, and she whimpered at the sound moving through her
.“
What do you want, princess? This? My tongue? Something else
?
”

His tongue would be lovely, amazing, but telling him to stop was unthinkable
.“
Everything
,
” she said
.“
Everything at once
.
”

He laughed again
.“
Le
t’
s start here, then
,
” he said, and his fingers picked up speed and intensity as she ground her hips into him, seeking more contact, more pressure, more everything, He licked and nipped at her neck, taunted the peak of her breast into a sharp point, and whispered to her about all the filthy things he intended to do to her. Binding her, tying her to a wall and masturbating just out of the reach of her mouth. Spanking her until she cried, then fucking her ass with his fingers and cock, his body slapping against her while her flesh was still tender and aching. Flogging her, clamping her nipples while he blindfolded her and beat her, a thousand little indignities and pains that made her gasp and buck and cry out until she spasmed against him, the orgasm spinning her out with a long, unwinding sound of luxurious pleasure.

“
Oh my lord, sha
,
” she whispered, when sh
e’
d caught her breath, and he laughed again, pulling her tight against him
.“
What did she say to you to put you in such a mood
?
”

It was
n’
t that it was the wrong question, but she felt him tense all at once
.“
Later
,
” he said, after a moment
.“
Le
t’
s talk about it later
.
”

“
Sure
,
” she said. Sleep was coming up fast, anyway; she had
n’
t slept well the night before, and it had been a long day today. She felt her body lift, cool sheets closing over her, and she snuggled into them. And then she felt something warm behind her, wrapping around her. She was surprised, and woke up enough to smile. She meant to turn over and snuggle into his shoulder, but before she could, sleep claimed her, and she fell deep down into the abyss of it all.

CHAPTER FOUR

Zoey came awake to the soft beeping of the alarm on her phone. She held herself perfectly still for a moment, waiting for her brain to catch up with her body. The sheets around her were warm and smooth, crisp, and she was cradled in a bed that felt like the foam ones she bounced on at the stores when she wanted to fantasize about the good life. She stretched, carefully, but did
n’
t encounter another body. Maybe it had just been a dream that Alex had come to bed with her after their intense encounter late last night.

She fished her phone off the night tabl
e—
he must have left it there, she was quite sure it had been in her bag when sh
e’
d been reading last nigh
t—
and tapped the alarm off. She had a couple of emails she scrolled past, and a few new text messages. Nothing urgent.

She sat up, only realizing that she was nude when the sheets fell down to her waist. Her cheeks heated up; sh
e’
d never slept naked in her life. Tank tops and boxer shorts, every single night of her life. And her clothes were off the floor. S
o…
she was trapped here? That was creepy.

No, not trapped. A plush looking velour bathrobe was draped over the foot of the bed. She snatched it up and wrapped it around her shoulders, then closed her eyes to drink in the deliciousness of the fabric shifting over her skin. It was one of the yummiest things sh
e’
d ever touched for more than a moment, and the way it brushed over her breasts was delightful.

She stuck her hands in the pockets and heard a piece of paper crinkle. She pulled it out, and found a note.

Let Sophia know how you take your coffee, and then find me in the workout room
.—
A

It was possible she was going to get the polite brush off now, but it seemed unlikely. Still, strutting around a ma
n’
s apartment in his bathrob
e—
the arms hung down past her hands in the goofiest wa
y—
and telling his housekeeper to get her coffee seemed bizarre to the extreme. At least, it was the not the life sh
e’
d ever lived, and not the life sh
e’
d expected to live. But sh
e’
d found herself falling into it, and maybe that would be okay. Just so long as Daddy never found out. Dating a black man, he would
n’
t care, but dating a rich man would probably break his heart. Mama, on the other hand, would be delighted for the chance to sashay around in New York society. She laughed thinking of it.

Sh
e’
d encountered Sophia briefly last night when the woman had brought her a mug of coffee and a grilled cheese sandwich. It had been the most delicious food sh
e’
d had in recent memory, a blend of exquisite flavors that had only been improved by being dipped in the thickest tomato soup sh
e’
d ever had. She was fairly sure that it had never seen the inside of a can. She thought it might have been made out of actual tomatoes.

She tied the robe around her waist and rolled the arms up until she could see her hands. Alex was
n’
t that much taller than her, but this thing was irrationally huge. He had
n’
t bothered to tell her where the exercise room was, and the penthouse apartment was roughly the size of her parents house; it was time to go exploring.

She did
n’
t get far; just down the hall, Sophia was tidying up in the main hallway
.“
Good morning
,
” the woman said, without so much as a glance at Zoe
y’
s attire
.“
Mr. Blankenship was waiting for you before he ate breakfast. H
e’
s down the hall, exercising. He asked me to send you his way once you were awake. Sugar and cream
?
”

It took Zoey a moment to catch up. Her head felt fuzzy, almost like it was the first time sh
e’
d slept deeply in weeks. Months, maybe. Couches were great for naps, not so great for actual rest
.“
Yes
,
” Zoey said, after a bit
.“
Thanks
.
”

“
Of course
,
” Sophia said, with a small smile. She stood for a moment, and Zoey did
n’
t quite know what she was supposed to do. The only thing that made sense was to walk past her, and head down to where Alex had said he would be.

The exercise room was located roughly opposite of the room where sh
e’
d slept. She walked past a huge living room with a twelve foot ceiling and gorgeous skylights, opening onto a balcony that made her toes clench on the wooden floor just from glancing out at the skyline. There was an office, the door half open, with a massive desk made of light colored wood, and bookshelves all along the back wall. Real books, though, not the kind of leather bound volumes that looked like the
y’
d been ordered with the book cases, actual books. The only thing that kept her from walking in to scrutinize the titles was that her own coffee table cum office space was more private than her bedroom area. She restrained herself to simply glancing in from the doorway. She saw shelves full of paperbacks, as well as rows and rows of hardcovers. When h
e’
d mentioned that his guest bedroom came complete with a charged eBook for the gues
t’
s convenience, sh
e’
d hoped that sh
e’
d found a reader; this just seemed to confirm that.

The exercise room was at the end of that hallway. The room made her stop and breathe. It had as many windows and as much sunlight as the living room had, but it also had an entire wall of mirrors. There was music playing softly from a speaker set in the corner. There was a large rectangular mat set up on one side of the room. It looked large enough to practice some martial arts forms. On the other side of the room, there was a treadmill and a set of free weights. A heavy bag was hung in the opposite corner. It looked like someone had taken a high end gym and shrunk everything down so that it would all fit in one room. Which, it was worth noting, was still bigger than her apartment.

She took all of that in before she let herself focus in on Alex.

He was on the mat, wearing loose jersey pants and a tank top that had soaked through with sweat along his spine. He was sitting cross legged now, his hands turned up in his lap, breathing quietly. He seemed unaware of her, and she relished the chance to just observe him. There was something so calm and peaceful about him like this. She had the sense that he was someone who was very rarely at rest. Watching him breathe and be at peace was almost as delightful as enjoying the press of his arms around her waist.

After a few moments, his eyes opened and focused on her, and he smiled easily
.“
You found the robe
,
” he said. It was as good a greeting as any, she told herself. She resisted the urge to hug it closer around her. Let him enjoy what little cleavage she had.

“
Yes
,
” she said
.“
Frankly,
I’
m disappointed
.
”

He raised his eyebrows, then moved smoothly up to his feet without using his hands, a swift motion that would have left her flat on her ass and wincing at the pain in her tail bone
.“
Disappointed
?
”

She nodded, glancing up at him through her eyelashes. She was incredibly glad sh
e’
d stuck to the bare minimum of makeup last night, and had been reasonably able to wash it off in the bathroom without make up remover. Raccoon eyes were a good look for no one. Other than raccoons. She resisted the giggle that bubbled in her throat, threatening to ruin her tempting pose.

He was moving toward her with the same sort of easy, loose jointed motion that said he was still thinking of the heat the
y’
d generated last night
.“
What in the world disappointed you about this
,
” he asked, running his hand over the plush velour. Conveniently, his hand ran down the swell of her breast, and she swallowed a sigh.

“
Well
,
” she said
.“
Given that you have condoms everywhere, and your driver trained to expect you to fuck women in the back of your car, yo
u’
re obviously much more of a player than yo
u’
re letting on
.
” She layered her tone thick with sarcasm and teasing, and he grinned at her, giving her faith that he got the joke
.“
Given all of that, quite frankly, I expected a silk kimono
.
” She fluttered her eyelashes and let her lower lip drop out in a melodramatic pout
.“
Was
n’
t I good enough to rate silk
?
”

His hands glided down to grip her hips, swaying her ever so slightly back and forth
.“
Oh, you were fine
,
” he murmured, leaning in slowly to brush his lips, light as butterflies, over the curve of her ear
.“
And I would have given you silk. But I did
n’
t think yo
u’
d accept it
.
” He drew back in such a way that his hips pressed forward, and she could feel him, thick and there. He was
n’
t hard, not yet, but he was present, and how was she possibly wet again? Was there any limit to how very much this man could make her feel?

She laughed, but the sound was a little gaspy and thin
.“
Probably not
,
” she said
.“
I do
n’
t know if I can even accept this
.
”

“
Oh, you have to
,
” he said, kissing her other ear, tracing the tip of his tongue down its exterior until he could nip the lobe. She whimpered, and his laughter rumbled in his chest
.“
You have to, because how could I possibly give a used robe to the next woman I invite home with me? And yo
u’
d never let me throw out a robe that was only used once, would you
?
”

“
Well
,
” she said
,“
When you put it that way, I suppose my environmental concerns leave me morally required to accept
.
”

“
Good
,
” he said
.“
Now can I take it off you? Because it is so in my way right now
.
” His hand scooped inside, capturing her breast and caressing it. He did
n’
t go straight for the nipple this time, more just lifting the light weight of her in his hand, stroking over her breast, which fit easily in the palm of his hand.

“
What do I get if you take it off
,
” she asked. She was impressed that the sentence made even the vaguest sort of sense.

He laughed again, his eyes sparkling with humor
.“
All sorts of fun
,
” he said
.“
My tongue on you. My fingers. Whatever you want.
I’
m at your mercy, princess
.
” His knee nudged at her thighs, and she stepped apart, letting his thigh press between hers. She was the perfect height to feel him press against the core of her, and the broad, heavy pressure made her whimper again.

“I’
m going to leave a wet spot
,
” she murmured as he left a trail of fire made by his tongue and teeth down her neck.

“
I do
n’
t give a shit
,
” he said
.“
Is it okay for me to untie the robe? I want to see you in daylight
.
”