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“Being petulant won’t help your case either. Tell me, Rachel, do you really want this? Because I need to know that you are in all the way before we go any further here.”

When her tongue came out to moisten her lips, Cole couldn’t help but reach out his hand, allowing his finger to follow the path it took.

“What
exactly
is it that you want from me?” she finally asked as she raised her eyes to his.

Cole re-crossed his arms and bent at the waist, so his face was hovering over hers. “I want you to give yourself to me.”

As he watched her pupils dilate, he knew the idea was as appealing to her as it was to him.

“For how long?”

“See? Now, you’re negotiating. Let’s start with a week.”

“A week? So, we meet here?”

“No.” He shifted, pressing his mouth to the corner of hers. “You come with me for the week. You stay with me, sleep with me, eat with me. You
be
with me.”

When a moan slipped free from her lips, Cole couldn’t help himself from kissing her hard and quick.

Then, quietly, he demanded, “Say yes.”

Yes, yes, yes!
Rachel’s body was screaming, but nothing was coming out. Her stupid brain had to make sure this was a choice, not a takeover. So, of course, it had demands of its own. “I don’t think this is a negotiation right now. It feels a lot like coercion.”

She experienced a small slither of delight in the humor that tugged at the corner of his serious mouth.

“Very good, Rachel. You are right. I’m trying my hardest to coerce you without becoming physical. So, in my book, I am not actually stooping as low as I could.”

“This isn’t physical? It feels pretty physical to me.”
Time to give him some of his own medicine
. “My nipples are hard, and the ache between my thighs—”

“Could all be taken care of with one word.”

Raising her hand, she recklessly pressed her index finger to his lips. She was starting to fantasize about those lips that had just sent a jolt of pure lust through her. “Shh, it’s rude to interrupt during negotiations.”

“Rachel,” he cautioned.

“Yes?”

She watched him close his eyes for a moment, almost as if trying to calm himself physically.

“Nothing. Continue. Your terms?” he asked.

“You said one hand. As in, you will only touch me with one hand?”

“Yes. If you agree and come with me, I will not touch you with more than one hand. When I prove to you I can be trusted, we will renegotiate.”

Rachel shivered at the thought. “Will you use your mouth?”

Cole gave her a look filled with so many hot, dirty promises that it melted away any resistance she thought she had left. That was the moment their two lives became soldered together by mutual desire and understanding. Whether it would go beyond a week was anyone’s bet, but it was one she wanted to take.

“If you agree, I will use my mouth, tongue, and anything else I need to make you whisper, groan, and scream my name.”

“Okay. I agree, but no straps and no…” She paused, looking away. “Handcuffs?”

A strong hand lifted her chin, so her eyes were directly on his.

Sincerely, he replied, “There will be no physical restraint, just your free will.”

“No pain?”

“Rachel, I don’t know who hurt you in the past or what kind of relationship you were in, but with me, no pain, no humiliaton, and no harm will come to you. I want to please
you
as much as I want
you
to please me. I want to use my body and yours to bring you the most pleasure you have ever felt, and after it’s through, I want to start all over again.”

Rachel felt her body shake at everything he was saying. She finally realized it was everything she had ever wanted, and she could have it for a week.

One week of perfection.

“Why me?” she asked.

She felt him remove the hand he had at her chin, and slowly, he wrapped it around her waist as he tugged her forward. She could feel the full length of his muscular body pressed tightly against hers.

“From the minute you walked in, it was you. I’d been coming to this place for months, looking for someone—not someone who wants gimmicks, not someone who wants to act a part in the bedroom. This is me and my life, Rachel. I’m bossy, I’m arrogant, and I can be an asshole at times, but I also crave the power to control my surroundings. So, that is what I ask of you. Will you let go and give me the power to make you happy? To make you scream when your body finally explodes around mine? I want the power to make you smile and curse at me, so if you want to try that, then come with me. Say yes, and come home with me.”

Really, it’s a no-brainer
, she thought as she said, “Yes.”

One silent cab ride later, Cole found himself staring at the woman standing opposite him in the elevator as it ascended to his condo’s floor. She hadn’t taken her eyes off him the whole ride up. He liked that about her. She was daring, just like her bright red hair and tattooed spine He might want someone to let him hold the reins, but he’d be damned if he wanted someone meek and mild who wouldn’t give him a challenge.

This woman is definitely going to be a challenge,
he thought
, and I can’t fucking wait.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked as she shifted against the opposite wall and crossed her legs.

He had discovered that once she made up her mind, she was the kind of woman who didn’t back down. It was the moments in between, the uncertainty, that made her the most vulnerable.

“I was wondering what else is hiding under your clothes.”

Cole admired her blunt no-nonsense response.

“Amazing. I was just thinking the exact same thing. What will I find when I unzip that skirt, Rachel?”

“Guess you’ll find out in…” She looked at the lights on the panel above the doors as they lit one at a time with each floor they passed. “Six floors.”

Cole pushed his hands into his pockets as their eyes met once more. “Yes, I will.”

Silence filled the space between them as the elevator passed the final four floors.

When it came to a smooth stop, Cole pushed away from the wall and gestured with his hand. “After you.”

Rachel moved away from the other side and stepped out into the hallway. She stopped when her black heels hit the cream carpet. Cole got off the elevator and came up behind her. He ran one finger down her neck and along her shoulder and felt her shiver.

She looked back at him. “Which way?”

“Left. It’s the last door on your right.”

She pivoted to the left and made her way down the hall. He watched her take in the paintings on the walls. When she reached the last door, she turned, so she was facing him as he walked toward her. Her eyes devoured him as he came closer, and when he pulled the keys from his pocket, she parted her lips and licked them as if she were ready to take a bite.

“Ready?” he asked, looking directly at her, as he inserted the key.

“For?”

He turned the key, and the snick of the lock was as effective as a starting gun.

With absolute certainty, he said, “Me.”

Rachel was absolutely positive she was
not
ready for him, but she wanted him anyway, so she conveniently pushed that thought aside. She turned to where he was now waiting for her in the doorway. Stepping into the entryway, she felt a strong hand firmly grip her upper right arm from behind her.

“Let’s see how well you follow direction.”

As his breath ghosted over her spine, she allowed herself a moment of reflection.

How long has it been since I’ve given in to this side of myself? Years? Four at least.

She was pulled from her thoughts when his tongue touched the base of her neck where her tattoo began.

“Be sure this is what you want. Walk all the way to the door at the far end of the hall. Do not look around. When you get there, go inside, and you will see a large wooden trunk at the end of my bed. When I get there, I want you to be standing on it, facing my headboard, minus this sexy fucking skirt.”

Rachel swallowed and nodded once.

“Good. Oh, Rachel, leave the stockings and heels on. I’ll be in shortly. Now, go,” he instructed.

She felt a slight pressure from one of his hands on the curve of her back, urging her forward. Straightening her spine, she decided that she might as well give him a show, so she strutted down the hall of his very impressive condo. She wished she had a moment to look around, but she knew if she did, he would see. Rachel could feel his eyes on her, watching her closely, and she still didn’t know him well enough to try and play him.

Her heels clicked as she moved farther along the hardwood floors. From what she could see out of the corner of her eye, she passed two closed doors. When she reached the one at the end of the hall, she extended a trembling hand and gripped the silver knob. Turning it, she stepped inside, and she was immediately surrounded by the dark masculine vibe that was all Cole.

On one side of the room was a large bureau made from a deep cherry hardwood. It perfectly matched the enormous bed pushed against the wall on the other side of the room. A wooden clothes valet sat in the far corner, and just as he had told her, there was a large wooden trunk at the end of his bed.

Rachel didn’t know how much time she had until he joined her, so she quit gaping at her surroundings and kicked her ass into gear. She unzipped her skirt, and with a smirk, she moved to the clothes valet where he had a perfectly pressed suit all neatly laid out. She draped her leather over it with a little chuckle.

Walking back to the end of the bed, she noticed a small cream rug on the floor in front of the trunk. She bet that rug would feel good under her slightly achy feet right now. The room was so lush and rich, all cream and dark woods, yet it was so extremely manly at the same time. It smelled amazing, and then she realized it smelled liked him.

Stopping in front of the trunk, she removed her heels and placed them on top. Then, she hitched herself up onto it. While standing on the trunk, she put the heels back on. Facing the headboard, Rachel shifted her legs a little bit apart, so she was steady, and then she took several deep breaths. Just as she had her nerves almost under control, she heard the handle of the door turn. Closing her eyes, she told herself to let go.

Just let go. Surrender.