Priceless

“So, can we do this, my lovely Miss Hargreave?”

I closed my eyes in a pathetic attempt to find some strength but there was none to be had. I wanted to be with him, too. Was he really handing this decision over to me though? He was such an attraction to me and had been from the first moment I ever laid eyes on him. I wanted to know what it felt like to have him over me at least once. I wanted to find that place in my head my body craved, and I tried to deny. I wanted to go there with this beautiful man who kept telling me I was beautiful to him. I wanted to be with Ivan Everley more than I’d ever wanted to be with any man. And nobody would have to know. We were all alone here at Donadea, and that did take away a lot of my hesitation.

“Don’t shut your eyes,” he said, his head dipping down ready to make eye contact the second I followed his command and opened them. “I need to see those green beauties on me when you say yes.”

I sucked in a sharp breath and got lost in his dark green ones.

“You can have carte blanche with my paintings if you like. No pressure, but maybe you’ll find something that interests you and you’ll want to stay longer.”

God, he really had the art of persuasion down to a tee. He could pull out all the stops when he wanted. He also knew what made me tick, and lucky for him, had the goods in his pocket to offer up. It had been such a long time since I’d felt beautiful in the eyes of a man, and Ivan kept telling me so often it was hard to push him away. Even if only for one night, he would make me feel alive and beautiful. One night was all I deserved. I’d have to be content with that.

“No, just for tonight,” I told him. “Tomorrow you take me back to Hallborough and nobody knows we ever did this.”

“Is that a yes?”

I nodded. “But, Ivan, you need to know…I’m scared,” I blurted honestly. It was the truth and he should know it coming from me.

“Of me?” He frowned, looking bothered by my declaration.

“No.” I shook my head. “I’m scared of me.”

ELEVEN

SHE felt scared. Afraid of letting her inhibitions run free. I could understand that bit. I’d felt the same way before. Many times. But the prospect of being with Gabrielle didn’t scare me. That wasn’t my issue at all. I was very determined not to fuck up with her again.

Fuck? Definitely yes.

Fuck up? Not happening this time.

Go slow. Tell her what you want. Find out what she needs. Give it to her.

“Shhh, don’t be scared.” I brought her to my lips and kissed her gently, thrilling at the soft trace of her tongue responding to my lead. She was going to be perfect. “Not of yourself, and not of me, okay?” I asked, dipping down to find her eyes.

“All right,” she breathed. I could feel her trembling underneath my hands. What she didn’t know was her trembling was just the beginning of what I was going to pull out of her tonight.

“What do you say to getting out of this flying boat and up to the house?”

She nodded “yes” but didn’t say anything as I unbuckled her from the seat and stowed her life jacket. She watched my hands, and for some reason it was so fucking sexy coming from her.

I would be doing a lot of things to her with my hands in a little while, and once I got started I wasn’t going to stop until I was good and ready to stop, and she was exhausted from the many orgasms I’d give her.

And she would take all of it from me.

I could hardly believe she was really here at all, and I couldn’t resist another kiss before leaving the plane from my pilot’s seat. She tasted sweet. So soft. It was hard to reconcile her with the feisty creature I’d met on the road the time she’d come here before. And she was so different with me right now. A side of her I’d not seen before, and made me want her so badly, I could’ve gone for a quick grind right here in the back of the plane just to take the edge off.

“I’ll come around to your side and help you out, okay?”

“All right,” she said, bringing a finger to her lips, touching where my tongue had just been.

My dick was brutally stiff to the point it hurt to move, but move I did. I needed her up in my bed like two months ago.

I opened the door for her. “Just step onto the base of the doorway.” I held my arms up.

One long leg came into view and then the other as she stood up and balanced on the edge, her heels framing her feet while the dress fluttered against that banging hot body I couldn’t wait to see naked.

She was a fucking vision. Portrait worthy.

“I’ve got you,” I said, as I took her behind the knees with one arm while the other wrapped around her back, and just like that she was in my arms smelling sexy and sweet like berries.