Initiate Me (20 page)

I stepped inside the room and closed the door behind me, then flipped the security lock into place. As I hit the switch, illuminating the room, and moved toward her, Mia licked her lips but her posture was as stiff as a board. I could see the war going on inside that gorgeous head of hers. She wanted me but she wasn’t going to make it easy.

I walked over to the bar and opened the fridge, examining the choice of beverages. “What would the lady like to drink?” I asked her.

“Actually, I feel like a cocktail. A strawberry daiquiri would be great.”

Of course she did. That would take her longer to drink and give her more opportunity to avoid me. I picked up the phone and ordered her the cocktail. I was amazed she chose a cocktail; didn’t they contain a shitload of calories?

I placed my order over the phone and then looked at Mia as an idea struck. “We’re also going to need a deck of cards.” I saw her frown at me from across the room. When I hung up, I said, “You’ve never played poker with me. You’ve watched me play with your brothers many times. So I thought, seeing as we are alone, it would be appropriate to play it together.

“I’m warning you, I’ve been playing poker since I was big enough to walk. My father taught me how to play and growing up with three brothers means I’ve had lots of practice.”

“I know. I’ve seen you play with them. You’re very good, but so am I. What do you say we play a few hands and let’s see who comes out the winner?”

Mia sat down on the sofa. “Bring it on. But you’d better not be a sore loser. I hate sore losers.”

“Ditto, angel,” I said. A knock on the door indicated room service had arrived. After taking the cocktail and cards, I tipped the guy and sat down on the chair next to the sofa. I grabbed myself a beer and handed Mia her cocktail. I had the air conditioning cranking on high; it was so damn hot in Port Douglas. Both of us were silent as we drank. Setting my beer down on the coffee table, I opened the box of cards. As I shuffled, I explained the rules. “Five card stud, nothing wild, how does that sound?”

“Sounds easy enough. Are we playing for money?”

“No, not money. Information.”

“Huh?”

“If I win, you have to tell me three things about yourself. Good things, not like ‘I like the colour red’, understand? If you win, I have to tell you three things about myself. What do you say?”

She grinned. “You’re going to be doing a lot of talking.”

We were both silent as I dealt. I waited for her to look at her hand. When she discarded two, I slid two new cards across the coffee table. She picked them up, but I couldn’t tell if she was happy or not. Damn, she was a little sneak and gave nothing away. I looked at my own cards and discarded one then waited for her to show me her hand. She had two pair, kings and deuces. All I had was a pair of sevens. I placed my own hand face up on the table and watched her expression change from blank to pure wickedness.

“Oh, dear, you better start talking,” she demanded.

Shit, I hated losing. I wanted to find out more about her. Although I had known her for years, I knew nothing about her.
The next round is mine.

“Let’s see... I love pickup trucks and motorcycles. I have my own Harley Davidson I keep at my parents’ house. I’ve always loved them. I hate soppy girlie movies, so don’t ever ask me to watch one with you. They’re a complete waste of time to me.”

“Ah, I will have to remember that when you are pissing me off again!” she said, her face mischievous. “I bet I can convert you. Hand over the cards; it’s my turn to deal.” Mia scooped up the cards and started to shuffle. Her skill impressed me. She dealt five cards each, then placed the deck in the centre.

I looked at my hand and had to stifle a grin. “I’ll stay.”

There was no expression from Mia as she picked up her cards, tossed one down and grabbed a new one from the deck. She looked at me, and I laid my cards out face up. “What the hell, you have three aces?” she reluctantly showed her hand of a pair of dismal twos.

“Go for it, baby. Spill the beans.”

“Don’t be shocked, but I love magnets. I collect all sorts and all sizes. Expensive ones, cheap ones. I just love them. What I really love though, are those chick flicks which make you cry. But I suppose you’re not shocked about that one. Cameron Diaz is my favourite actress. Any movie with her in it, I am there. And the third fact is that I hate food that’s orange. Carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, oranges, and mandarins. I detest them all. They make my tongue curl.”

I laughed. “Why do you hate orange food so much? Carrots are good for you.”

She played with the cards, shuffling them in various ways. “I don’t know. My mother said I never ate my carrots when I was a little girl and I must’ve developed this fear of anything orange tasting disgusting. But I love the colour orange. I have orange shoes, handbags, dresses...”

“Of course you have, you are always dressed to perfection and you always look gorgeous. In fact, the colour orange looks amazing on you, with your exotic looks.” I held out my hand. “Hand over the cards; it’s my turn to deal.” She placed the cards in my hand. Our fingers touched, and I actually felt a jolt of electricity go through me. “It’s a tie so far, so this is the last hand,” I murmured.

She cleared her throat and took a sip of her cocktail. “Just don’t get shitty when I win.” I dealt the cards.

We were both beating around the bush almost as if this last hand meant more than merely breaking our tie. Or maybe I was just reading into things. Damn, this chick was doing my head in. Talk about stubborn.

Mia discarded two, and I dealt her two more. I tossed down two of my own and took two more off the top of the deck. I watched as she showed her hand. Damn, she had a flush. “I only have a pair of twos. Looks like you’re the winner,” I growled.

“Whoop whoop, I get three more Zane facts.”

“Fine, don’t get too excited. My life is boring. Now, let me think about what you don’t already know. Well, I’ve dabbled in martial arts before and I used to train as a boxer. There was a time that I wanted to be a fighter instead of a cop, but my father lost the plot when he found out that was what I wanted to do. Lucky for me, the boxer training came in handy as a cop.” I grimaced.

“Do you miss it?”

“Being a cop you mean?” She nodded. “A bit, I suppose. I miss the adrenalin rush of being the good guy and catching the bad guy, but it doesn’t always pan out that way.”

“Would you ever go back to it? I mean after you get the all-clear for your shoulder injury, that is.”

I took a swig of my beer, draining the bottle. “No. I am happy doing what I’m doing and I have the pub now.”

“Oh, that’s good then, that you’re planning to stick around. Mmm...I think you only told me two facts. We made a deal it would be three, remember?” she reminded me.

“I’m not so sure you want to hear my last one. You ready? There is not a day that goes by at the office that I don’t stare at your sexy arse.”

Mia shook her head. “I’m not sure that actually qualifies as a fact.”

I leaned across the table and whispered, “Do you care?” Suddenly, she stood and moved toward me.
Damn, what is this little minx up to?

“No. I don’t care,” she stated, her voice low.

I stood and asked her point blank as I caressed her cheeks. “Tell me what you want, Mia.” Her mesmerizing gaze drifted over me, teasing me until I felt my dick harden.

“This,” she whispered before rising to her toes and pressing her lips to mine. It was like our first kiss all over again. Mia was gentle and shy, as if unsure of what to do with me. Her tongue slid over my bottom lip in a curious perusal and I gave up any pretense at control. I enfolded her in my arms, pulling her against my body and fitting her curves to me. I thrust my pelvis against her lower abs, saying without words what I would demand from her if she continued her little game. She moaned against my mouth and dug her fingers into my hair, then brought one leg up to wrap around my waist. I cupped her arse and lifted her off the floor, forcing her to grip me with both legs.

I pried my lips from hers and gave her one last chance to walk away. “Be sure, angel. Because I want you and you need to know if this is really what you want.”

Her breath came out in pants as she said, “You’re the one who needs to be sure. You are the one who keeps me at arm’s length, so you better be sure as to what you really want.”

“I won’t leave you, ever again,” I promised as I strode across the room. “I swear it.”

“I’ll knee you in the balls if you ever do that again,
I swear it
.” She repeated my words so it would sink in. It did. It wasn’t until I entered the bedroom, flipped on the bedside lamp and sat on the end of the bed that her words registered.

“I don’t doubt it for a second,” I murmured as I tasted her lips with my tongue. I coaxed her to open for me. When she surrendered, I delved inside, addicted to her sweetness. The flavor of her...there wasn’t another woman on Earth who tasted as sinfully sweet as her.

With her straddling me, my cock was so hard I was afraid I’d end up with an imprint of my damned zipper, but there was no way I was letting her go long enough to undress. She dipped her head and licked my neck, teasing and nibbling at my overheated skin. Her lower body gyrated against mine. Jesus, this woman was damn hot. Sexy and hot and all mine. I lifted away from her and grasped her waist, standing her in front of me. Her face was flushed, her lips swollen, and several dark locks of hair had come loose from her ponytail.

She looked ready for me to fuck. “You make me crazy, sweetheart. But why did you change your mind? You were adamant earlier that I was not going to touch you again.”

“I decided I don’t want to deny myself anymore. I’ve wanted you for so long, for years and after that first time, I’m addicted to you. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not, but I don’t feel like questioning it tonight. I just want you to touch me. I need you to.”

“I’m going to do more than touch you, angel. A hell of a lot more.” I smoothed my palms up her sides until I reached her breasts, cupping them through her dress. I let my thumbs tease the hard tips, and she swayed toward me. I pulled my hands away and ordered, “Undress.” She didn’t speak, though her expression conveyed all I needed to know. She was nervous. This was only her second time with me; I should have expected that. She excited me, but she was wary or perhaps even afraid of my sexual appetites. “Try not to think so hard, baby.”

“I’m not.” We both knew she was lying, but I let it go and waited. She took a deep breath and moved her fingers to a hidden zipper along her right side. As she worked the straps off her shoulders, the dress fell free, landing in a black pool at her feet. My gaze went straight to her pussy. No undies. Holy fuck.

I lifted my hand, cupping her smooth mound. “Jesus, you have no idea how much I missed this sweet pussy. I’m going to fuck it so hard.”

“Zane.” My name came out as a pleading whisper, and it was music to my ears.

I leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss to her clit. “My dick is going to feel so good sliding inside you.” I reached behind her and unhooked her bra, my attention rapt as her breasts were bared to me.

I leaned forward, unable to help myself, and sucked on one erect nipple. She shuddered and tunneled her fingers through my hair. I swirled my tongue around her breasts before sucking as much as I could fit into my mouth.

“Yes, just like that,” she breathed out. “Oh, God, that feels so good.” I pulled back and stared at her. “Take your hair down, sweetheart. I want to feel it glide over my fingers,” I commanded her as I stood.

I unbuttoned and unzipped my pants as she lifted her fingers to her hair. She pulled the hair tie out, letting her hair fall onto her shoulders in luxurious waves and finger-combed them, trying to tame them. Her hands were clasped together in front of her, and I thought she looked like a sweet angel. An innocent, untouchable being I had no business breathing near, much less fucking. And if anyone would’ve attempted to keep me from her in that instant, I would’ve fought to the death to get to her. It didn’t much matter that I was too old for her, too hard and too experienced. She was mine.

Finally naked, I closed the few inches between us and cupped her cheek, her desire and trust clearly visible in her expression. My gut clenched. “I’ve wanted you again, sweetheart. I have some things I want to try out with you. Dirty things. Things you’ve never considered doing.

She gasped.

“I won’t hurt you,” I reassured her. “I’d never hurt you, angel.”

She slid a hand between our bodies and wrapped it around my cock. “I may not be as experienced as you, but I’m not a little girl. I want to be here. It’s my choice to be here with you.” The grasp she had on my dick seemed to prove her point rather well.

“Will you consider bondage?”

She arched a brow. “You want to tie me to the bed?”

“No, not quite.” I stepped away from her, forcing her to release her hold on me. I’d been too damn close to coming. I went to my suitcase and pulled out a length of rope, holding it out for her to see.

“I want to bind your breasts.”

Her eyes widened. “You want to do what?”

I chuckled. “Don’t look so scandalised. It doesn’t hurt, I promise. You do trust me, don’t you?” She bit her lip and covered her breasts with her palms, as if to protect them from my evilness.

“I-I trust you.”

“Prove it,” I growled. “Come here.”

She padded softly toward me, a frown creasing her brow. “I’ve told you before; I’m not into pain, so if you hurt me, I’ll make you pay for it later.”

I tugged her hands away then let my gaze take in the sight of her. Her nipples were pebble-hard, her lips swollen from my kisses. “Pleasure, angel; pure pleasure.” I leaned down and kissed the spot behind her ear, enjoying her response and the little shudders my touch evoked.

“You want to be my angel, don’t you, Mia?” I licked the shell of her ear and nipped at the delicate lobe.

“Please, you’re making me crazy with this slow loving. I need you inside me. Now, or I’ll take matters into my own hands.”