At Your Mercy (VIP The Pink Collection, #1) (4 page)

"Ivy …" He arches his back. I know he's
getting close to getting off.

In one swift movement, my mouth is vacant of
his hard, thick member. Still on my knees, I stare at his enormous
cock, admiring just how freaking good he looks.
A girl could get
addicted to giving blowjobs.

"Turn around, and face the opposite
direction," Jax snaps. "Put your arms on the lounge chair," he says
with a voice that is full of need and blue eyes that are dark with
desire. "Has anyone told you what a nice plump ass you have?" he
asks, standing behind me. "I'm going to enjoy the view while
pumping in and out of your wet, hot body."

Oh, my.

"Not to ruin the moment, but Ivy, are you on
the pill?"

I turn halfway to look back at him. "Yes, of
course."

"And you've had sexual relations before,
right?" he asks quietly.

"Yes, anything else on your checklist?" I
arch my eyebrows.

Jax shakes his head.

He penetrates me with two fingers. Pumping
slow, in and out. This will have me coming soon if he continues
this slow torture. Jax continues giving me pleasure with his
fingers as his lips kiss each cheek of my butt.

"Beautiful," he repeats with every kiss.

"Ah, Jax, please don't make me wait," I beg
of him. Squeezing my eyes, I hope my impending climax will hold
off.

Finally, I sense the head of his cock between
my folds.

"Goddamn, woman, you are so ready for me. I
want to taste that sweet nectar, but I'm not going to last long."
His voice is strained, and his breathing heavy.

Jax rubs his manhood in circles on my clit. I
can't hold out much longer. My orgasm is imminent.

"Jax … now," I yell. I tilt my body,
preparing for him to drill into me.

Jax roars something I can't make out. He's
inside me, filling the void of my aching heat. I'm getting closer
to that burst of ecstasy that will undoubtedly have me clawing the
beige earth tone of the leather chair. Sweat forms on my forehead
and slender nose as my body rocks back and forth, trying to keep up
with every hard thrust Jax plunges inside me.

"You are so tight." He grabs both of my
shoulders as he thrusts into me deep.

"Oh, God. The intensity is escalating," Jax
says in a strained voice.

I welcome his release gushing into me. For
the first time, I feel nothing but pure pleasure.

***

"You neglected to mention that there are
bedrooms on your plane. Our sexual escapade could have been more
comfortable on this gigantic satin bed," I say while laying my head
on Jax's bare chest.

"Ivy, remember, I was trying to go slow until
you jumped me." He laughs, and I can't help but join him. I love
his contagious laughter.

"Now I know where the grand spiral staircase
leads to. I would have never thought that there were four bedrooms
in here. I plan on being pampered. We will spend time in the hot
tub before we land."

He laughs, and my head bobbles from the act
of it. "I promise," he says while twirling a curly red lock.
"Aren't we getting demanding now?"

"Am I?" I say, looking up into his blue
eyes.

Jax's expression becomes serious. "Ivy, I
want more than … this." He waves his arm in the direction of where
I just had the hottest sex ever. "You are special to me. We were so
young, but now I know as a man, what I was feeling back then was
love."

Oh, no. Love? Why does he have to get all
sentimental on me so soon after sex?
No regrets, Ivy. He is a
good man.

"Jax, I feel so different with you. I don't
have to put up the façade of being resilient and emotionally
detached. You make me feel safe and secure. But still all of this
doesn't matter because I'm no good-"

Bending down toward me, he lays a soft kiss
on my lips. We say nothing more. All you hear is our matching
breaths as we fade into the lull of sleep.

***

There is no conversation during the car ride
home while we hold hands the entire time. Can he sense that this
will be the last time we see each other? As we pull up to my condo,
I turn to him and smile. It will be the last time I see his
gorgeous face. Taking my index finger, I trace his jawline. Slowly
I move toward his lips, and he grabs my frizzy red hair, a
reflection of our time together in the hot tub. Jax's kiss is
urgent. As if he's trying to convey a message to me. All I can do
is keep my sensitive, bruised lips on his, savoring his touch.

Stepping out of the car, our eyes never
wander from one another. I take a deep breath and release air still
left in my chest full of ache. Finally breaking eye contact, I turn
to walk towards the entrance of my building.

I knew I was leading him on the moment I
acknowledged my feelings for him. It was selfish of me. Doesn't
matter either way. It still doesn't change the fact that love isn't
immune to lies, betrayal, or deceit. I won't be like my mother,
loving a man more than herself. I will not be at the mercy of a
man.

The past week, I haven't slept well. Jax had
left numerous messages on my cell phone and texted me daily. I feel
awful giving in to him. I led him on. That is something I have
never done to a man.

Holding my cell phone, I muddle over whether
I should call him and apologize. I hear my mother's voice
again.

The moment you have in your heart this
extraordinary thing called love, and feel the depth, the delight,
the ecstasy of it, you will discover that, for you, the world is
transformed.

The phone rings. Violet's name appears on my
screen. I really don't want to talk now.

"Hi, Violet," I say with no excitement.

"Geez, I get no love from you, huh?"

"Sorry. Just tired is all," I say, hoping to
sound realistic. I feel bad that I'm not excited to hear from her.
The client I had before Jax lasted three months. I didn't have to
first meet at VIP when I was hired for Jax. So it's been a while
since we've seen one another.

"Well, another client has called for
services, and you are a good match for him. Can you meet me at the
office so we can go over the details?" She sounds too excited. I
know she recently hired a few new Companions because VIP is getting
new business clients like crazy.

"I'll be there in an hour."

"Great. See you soon, Ivy."

A new client. I'm still stuck on my last one.
I've got to move forward and let my feelings for Jax subside.
But why does my chest ache? I feel alone. Really alone for the
first time in my life. This won't be easy.

***

Violet has remodeled her office again. When
she first started, she had turned an old house into a traditional
two-level business office. It was plain but doable. The first floor
is the waiting area for clients. VIP training and meetings are held
on the second level. Violet's office is also on the first floor.
She wants to be able to see who comes in and out of the
building.

Now the office looks more contemporary. The
color scheme is warm, with a khaki color, Grayed-Jade. A few large
abstract paintings on the walls. Everything seems to be engraved
with the VIP logo design—the new double glass doors at the
entrance, the front of the check-in desk, which now matches the
marble floors. There are areas of the floor accented with
Kashan-design rugs. Business is visibly booming. I'm happy for her.
She basically lives here. The woman is a workaholic.

I wait at the main desk for Brice to finish
her phone call. Brice, VIP's receptionist, has always been perky.
She can be a bit flighty at times, though. Her boyish, dark haircut
and short, plump stature can be deceiving to most people. She is
all woman and loves fashion to the point of obsession.

"Sorry about that. That was one of our new
Companions. He is-"

"He?"
I say, in astonishment. As far
as I knew, this was a female-based agency.

"Violet wants to branch out, include all
genders. His name is Cole. I haven't met him yet, but he's coming
in later today. I hope he's good looking." Brice wiggles her
eyebrows. All I can do is laugh. "You've been away too long,
Ivy."

"It's been a while, hasn't it? Are you doing
okay?"

"I'm working full time here now. Violet is
busier than ever."

I lean on the counter and whisper, "Any
gossip for me? You always seem to know the dirt on some of our past
and present clients."

She laughs … and snorts. That's Brice. "No,
nothing good for weeks." She opens her mouth, then shuts it.

"What is it? Tell me."

"Well, I hear you have-"

Violet comes out of her office, wearing a
pale rose-colored sleeveless dress. She is always looking good.
"Brice," Violet snaps. "Can you check my schedule and see if I have
any openings for later this evening. One of our clients needs a
Companion ASAP." Violet gives Brice a strange look.

What's up with that?

"Sure, no problem. I'll check." Brice smiles
up at me and turns her attention to her computer screen.

Violet walks up to me and holds both my
hands. I kiss her on the cheek. "Come on in, Ivy. Let's go over
some details about this client and payment information."

I always loved Violet's office. It gives you
an open feeling with her ceiling-to-floor windows. We sit across
from one another. I lean back in her rustic-colored, oversized
leather chair.

"The first meeting will be held at a
different location. I thought it was time to change things up a
bit." She winks at me and smiles, showing all her pearly whites.
She is definitely bringing in more cash at VIP. "His name is
Harrison White. He is in the … entertainment industry. Mr. White
requests someone to accompany him to all dinner meetings."

"Sounds easy enough. Is this local, or will
we travel?"

"Local for now. He did state that, for
conventions, he may need to travel. So, Ivy, do you want to move
forward with this client?"

"Yes, I need the distraction," I blurt out
without thinking.

Violet raises her eyebrows in her
do
tell
expression.

"I think I love him. Shit, who am I fooling?
I know I do."

Violet walks around her L-shaped glass desk
and hugs me. I sob silently. She is fully aware of my dysfunctional
upbringing. We have bonded like sisters in the short period of time
that I have worked for her.

"Ivy, you got to let it go. It's tearing you
apart, and you're missing out on life, sweetie."

I nod my head in agreement, tears rolling
down my cheeks onto Violet's bare arms.

***

The restaurant has more of a romantic
atmosphere than business. The cozy dining area adds sensuality with
dim lights and a ballroom grand piano being played by a pianist in
a corner of the restaurant. The décor is of exotic colors,
textures, and chandeliers. This is a bit out of the ordinary for
Violet. She always picks a meeting place that is business
casual.

What is even odder is that there were hardly
any cars outside. Perhaps four, five tops. As I stand in the
waiting area, I also notice there isn't anyone in the restaurant,
well, as far as I can see.

Just as I am about to walk further into the
dining area, a model-figured brunette swiftly walks up to me,
smiling from ear to ear.

"Good evening," she says, with her fisted
hands placed at her sides as if to tame them.

I look around, wondering if there are any
other hostesses here. The brunette is making me feel uncomfortable.
"I'm meeting someone here for a six o'clock reservation. My name is
Ivy … Ivy Montgomery."

Without even looking for my name in the
reservation book, she turns on a childish sounding tone. "Yes, you
are expected. Your date is here. Follow me, please, Ms.
Montgomery."

This is not a date.

As we walk further into the dining area, I
notice candles are lit on every table, along with large bouquets of
flowers … roses the color of a sunset and orchids. My heart begins
to rapidly pound in my chest. "J-Jax," I whisper to myself.

Right in the middle of the restaurant there
are two servers outfitted in black and white tuxes, with their
hands behind their backs, on either side of the table. At the end
of the dining table is a man standing tall, feet together, playing
the most beautiful sounds on a violin. But my "client" is not
sitting at the table.

"Your date will be right out."

"He had to excuse himself to the men's room,"
one of the waiters informs me. He pulls out a red velvet chair for
me to sit.

"Thank you," is all I manage to say. There is
a variety of seafood appetizers and a few bottles of wine chilled
in the ice buckets on the table.

I look back to see where the brunette has
gone. When I turn back around, there he is. My client. Violet must
have set this up. I think I may faint. Jax walks toward me with a
confident swagger. He looks so yummy. Anything he wears fits him
perfectly in all the right places.

He stands in front of me. "Hi, Ivy. I hope
you aren't mad."

I say nothing. I'm in shock. I look at him,
wondering if this is some kind of illusion.

"Ivy?" His confidence has disappeared.

I feel light-headed. "How? Violet?" I can't
form a sentence.

"Yes, Violet helped me. I was going out of my
mind not being with you or hearing your voice for a week. So I
decided to call Violet, and we chatted for a while. Please don't be
mad at her. She is truly a good friend of yours. Violet thought it
was time. But if this didn't end well, I promised her I would leave
you alone. That I would respect your wishes."

"Mr. Harrison White?"

"My middle name and my mother's maiden name."
He chuckles.

"Oh, Jax." My eyes are filled with tears.

Ivory, listen to your mother. Love is what
makes us happy. Love doesn't hurt.
All this time, my mom's
words are clearer than ever.