Beneath This Man (This Man 2)

He glares at me, and I’m suddenly yanked straight out of my mental celebration dance and right into panic.

‘Take…the…fucking…cuffs…off.’ He emphasises each word slowly on a hiss.

Oh bloody hell. In all of my meticulous planning and execution of the truth f**k, I hadn’t given a second thought to the aftermath. He’s seething mad, and now I’ve got to release him. What is he going to do? I sprint through my options, but it doesn’t take long because there are only two; release him and take my punishment, or leave him handcuffed to the bed forever.

I watch him with wide, cautious eyes as he watches me with dark, furious ones. What am I going to do? I place my hands on his strong thighs and inch myself up his body until my face is hovering above his. I need to lighten his mood.

Smoothing my hands through his hair, I drop my lips onto his. ‘I still love you.’ I mumble around my kiss. Maybe it’s the reassurance he needs. Eleven years is nothing really. What’s the problem? He’s still my handsome, roguish God.

He moans as I give his mouth some extra special treatment. ‘Good, now take the cuffs off.’

I kiss my way to his neck and nuzzle. ‘Are you mad at me?’

‘Fucking crazy mad, Ava!’

I sit up and look at him. He really is crazy mad, and now I’m shitting myself. I give him my best cheeky grin. ‘Can’t you be crazy in love?’

‘I’m that too. Remove the cuffs.’ He looks at me expectantly.

I shift to ease myself up and shudder when his arousal falls to my opening, the throbbing, wet head slipping over my entrance.

He bucks. ‘Damn it, Ava! Take the f**king cuffs off!’ He is completely deranged and now I know…I’m not taking the cuffs off. I get off the bed and stand at the side, looking at him rage.

‘What are you going to do?’ I ask nervously.

‘Take them off.’ He looks almost murderous.

‘Not until you tell me what you’re going to do.’

His breathing is heavy, his chest expanding. ‘I’m going to f**k you until you beg me to stop, and then you’re going to run fourteen miles,’ He raises his head and stabs me with ferocious greens. ‘And we won’t be stopping for a muscle rub or a coffee break!’

What? I’ll take the f**k, but I’m not running anywhere, except out of his penthouse. He’s already made me do ten miles yesterday. That will be his way of regaining control; making me do something that I really don’t want to do, and I definitely don’t want to run fourteen miles.

‘I don’t want to go for a run.’ I state as calmly as I can. ‘You can’t make me.’

His eyebrows jump up. ‘Ava, you need to remember who holds the power in this relationship.’

I back away in disgust and then flick my eyes to his restrained wrists before returning them to him. ‘I’m sorry, who has the power?’ I say in a mocking tone that I really didn’t mean. I am seriously poking the rattle snake, but that little statement has really got my back up.

My sarcasm only serves to notch his fury level up a little more – if that was possible. ‘Ava, I’m warning you!’

‘I can’t believe you’re being so cranky over this. It was okay for you to handcuff me!’

‘I was in control!’ he yells back at me.

Ah! So all of this is just about him being in control? That’s stupid! ‘You’re a power freak!’ I shout back, and he wriggles a little more. ‘I’m going to get a shower.’ I stomp off.

‘I’m only a power freak with you!’ he yells at my back. ‘Ava!’

I slam the bathroom door and remove my bra. The arrogant, power obsessed, controlling arse! My delight in the fact that my truth f**k worked has been well and truly trampled. I throw myself in the shower and listen to my name being yelled repeatedly. If I wasn’t so affronted, I would laugh. He really doesn’t like not being able to touch me and he really, really doesn’t like relinquishing power.

I shower and brush my teeth at a leisurely rate. It’s still super early. I have plenty of time.

When I walk back into the bedroom, I find Jesse has calmed down slightly, but there is definitely still a hint on anger in his expression as he looks up at me.

‘Baby, come and free me, please.’ he pleads.

His sudden turn in mood has me suspicious and on my guard. I know his game, and I’m not falling for it. As soon as I free him, he’ll be on me like a lion before manhandling me into my running kit and dragging me around the streets of London. I’m not denying that I would love to have him all over me right this minute, but I’m not hanging about to be tortured by fourteen miles. Unfortunately, they come as a package deal.

I sit myself in front of the floor length mirror to start drying my hair. I glance in the reflection every now and again and see him watching me, but he just scowls and throws his head back like a brooding schoolboy whenever I catch him. I smile to myself.

I apply my make-up and smother myself in coco butter and when I put on the cream lace underwear set that Jesse bought me, I hear him whimper. I smile smugly to myself. I may as well. I don’t know how long I’m going to be holding this power. I slip my white ruffle blouse on with my black, slim fit trousers and black heels.

I’m ready. I walk over to my handcuffed man and lean down to drop a long, lingering kiss onto his parted lips. I don’t know why I’m doing this. My bravado is commendable.

He sighs and brings his knees up so the soles of his feet are flat on the bed.