Mistaken by Fate (10 page)

“You’ll see.” He watched her face as they pulled up outside the restaurant, enjoying the way her eyes widened.

“Le Chat Noir? How could you have possibly gotten reservations last minute? They’re booked out for months.”

And the owner owed his little sister a favor. “I have my ways.”

She shot him a look. “Which sibling?”

Of course she’d know. Garrett didn’t have the same connections in New York that his sister and twin did. Between the two of them, they had ins into more than half the businesses in Manhattan. “Sara.” Honestly, he was a little surprised at how wide her influence had spread. He’d had no idea their uncle was allowing her to pick their cases from time to time, but apparently things were going well. Better than well.

Another indication of how perfectly everyone back home got along without him around.

“Damn. If I’d know she had them in her pocket, too, I would have taken advantage of it earlier.” She smiled, the doubt sliding away. For now. “Though we haven’t walked through the front doors yet and this date is already one for the books.”

Good. He wanted to impress her, so he’d pulled out all the stops. He opened the door and climbed out, then offered his hand to help her do the same. In the bright lights of the street, her dress was even more stunning. “I want you to wear this as often as possible.”

“That’s a fashion faux-pas.” She followed him down a set of narrow steps and through the door, sighing when the warmth of the room hit them. “But for this dress I’m willing to break the rules.”

Speaking of breaking the rules, it was going to be more difficult than he expected to maintain control and keep his hands off her. They checked his jacket, and if she’d been stunning with it on, in just the dress, she was beyond description. The hostess led them back to the quiet table in the corner he’d requested. Le Chat Noir was renowned for its amazing food, but also for the fact it used to be a speakeasy. It had been revamped and outfitted in a style that spoke back to that time while maintaining the glamor their high-end clients expected.

And all he could focus on was the way Ridley’s dress dipped down her spine, the bodice seeming to defy gravity because he didn’t have the slightest idea how it stayed up. Once the hostess left them, he flicked the vibe to a higher intensity. “What you’re feeling right now? That’s what I feel every time I look at you.”

“I’m sorry, Sir.” Her voice was breathy and she looked at him with a combination of desire and annoyance.

“No, you’re not.” He draped an arm over the back of her chair and reached up to cup the back of her neck. “You love that you drive me wild.”

She licked her lips. “Maybe.”

“Definitely.” He took her free hand and pressed it against his cock. “You feel how hard I am for you?”

“Yes, Sir.” She squeezed him once and a second time.

In response, he ramped up the vibe again. “You’re trying to tempt me into changing the rules. How wet are you, baby?”

She glared even as her breath came faster. “You already know.”

“That vibe’s getting slick now, isn’t it, buzzing against that sensitive clit of yours.” He dipped a hand under the slit in her dress, sliding up to run his fingers along the edge of her panties. “What would you do if I bent you over this table and fucked you right here in front of all these people?”

“I—”

“Or, if you’re suddenly feeling shy, maybe you’d like to slip beneath the table and suck my cock. They’d all know just the same, but you could play at modesty.”

Her eyes were a little too wide and her mouth moved as if she didn’t know whether to agree or call him an asshole. He leaned back before she could decide. A waiter appeared and poured their wine while Garrett rattled off their order, needing to get the man out of there. What the fuck had he been thinking, taking her out? He should have known that his control was always faulty with Ridley, and just sitting next to her was enough to push every single one of his buttons. He wanted to do what he’d threatened—just not here.

There were special dinner parties where such a thing wasn’t shocking. Hell, it was encouraged. He glanced back at her, taking in the dilated pupils and the way her lips parted. She was close. “Remember the rules, baby.”

“I hate you.”

“Maybe so, but the reward will be worth the suffering.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know if anything is worth the suffering right now.”

And he wasn’t about to give her any slack. “I’ve referenced playing in public before, but now I want a straight answer.” He went back to cupping her neck, needing to touch her in some small way. Needing to brand his ownership on her. Christ, he had to get a handle on this shit. “Let me give you a scenario and then you’ll tell me how it makes you feel. Ready?”

“No.”

“Good. Have you been to the third floor on Serve?”

She took a shaky sip of wine. “You know I haven’t.”

“I think you’d like it. It’s a single massive room outfitted for every taste, but what I think you’d really enjoy is the table they sometimes set up in the middle of it. It’s massive and solid oak—the kind of furniture that can really take some beating. Sometimes a few Doms will throw a dinner party.” He waited to make sure he had her full attention. “And food isn’t the only thing on the menu.”

Chapter Ten

“Would you like to be bent over a table where everyone could see that lovely pussy?” Garrett’s grip on the back of Ridley’s neck tightened. “I’d fuck you until you screamed for me, and every single person there would be jealous.”

She couldn’t catch her breath, and it wasn’t only the vibrating between her thighs causing the heat zinging through her system. No, that was all the man sitting next to her, speaking in the low, gruff voice, laying out all her desires, stripping her bare in every way but physically.

How was she supposed to keep her emotional distance with him touching her and talking like this?

“How are you feeling, baby?”

She took mental stock. She was feeling pretty damn good. She relaxed into his hold on her neck and the feel of his fingers, combined with the delicious vibrations of the toy in her panties, was enough to send her right to the edge. “Good, Sir. Too good.”

“Ridley.” He’d moved while she wasn’t looking, his breath now brushing her ear. “If you hold out until the end of dinner, as soon as we get into that limo, you’re coming on my face. Do you understand?”

“Is that my reward?”

“No.” He smiled. “That’s
my
reward.”

When he put it like that… “I can hold out.” She
would
, because as wonderful as this vibrator currently felt, his mouth between her legs was a thousand times better. His cock would be better yet, but she’d take what she could get. Besides, there was the promised reward. If his going down on her wasn’t the reward, she wanted to know what
was
.

“Good girl. Ah, here’s our food.”

She would have sworn that her appetite was nonexistent, but as soon as the seafood alfredo was set in front of her, she was suddenly starving. Garrett, the ass, didn’t let up on the vibrator once the entire time they ate. But she was determined to make it through, if only because he kept looking at her with that small smile on his face, as if he was happy.

The last time she remembered him looking like that, he was seventeen and it was a week before his mother had up and left. Maybe it had happened when she wasn’t around—it wasn’t realistic to think he’d spent the last eight years miserable—but knowing
she
was the cause of it had that dangerous
thunking
starting up in her chest again. It was so damn tempting to stop holding it inside and tell him exactly how she felt, but she couldn’t let the words past her lips.

As wonderful as this week had been with him, it couldn’t last. He was leaving soon. She’d been happy enough to focus on the glorious way he made her feel—not the impending separation. It triggered too many bad memories, and they were supposed to be living in the moment. Just because he had to go on a mission didn’t mean it would be like last time. That was
her
baggage talking and she knew it.

Except…nothing was really resolved between them. He might make her body sing, but he’d very carefully avoided talking about the past that lay between them like a festering wound.

She drained the rest of her wine glass and reached to pour more, but Garrett stopped her. “I need you fully with me tonight.”

“It’s a second glass of wine. I haven’t been such a lightweight that two glasses of wine would get me drunk since I was in high school.”

Again, that small smile. “All the same.”

“You’re a buzz-kill.” He reached for his phone and she immediately changed her tune. “I’m sorry, Sir.”

“Better.” He kissed her, taking possession of her mouth the same way he took possession of her body last night. His tongue traced the seam of her lips, silently demanding she open for him, and she was only too happy to comply.
This
was all that mattered. Not the future. Not her worries about what seemed like inevitable heartbreak.
This
.

She moaned at the feeling of his hand on her thigh and neck, branding her as his as effectively as if he’d tattooed his name there. Garrett drew back before that thought could truly scare her. “Let’s go.”

“Fuck yes.”

He tapped her lips. “Language.”

Wasn’t that the pot calling the kettle black? But she kept her mouth shut because she wanted
his
mouth on her, and as quickly as possible. While he paid for their meal, she shifted, trying to get comfortable. A laughable thought. Sometime while he’d been kissing her, he’d changed the vibe pattern on her again. Just when she’d gotten used to the steady rumble, now it was alternating. It was so unexpected that she had to bite back a moan as he helped her to her feet, the new position settling it more firmly against her clit. “Have I mentioned lately that I hate you?”

“Once or twice.” He pressed a hand to the bare skin at the small of her back, guiding her through the tables. People looked at them as they passed, and she had the paranoid feeling that they knew exactly how close she was to coming—that it was written all over her face.

The night that had been so cold before was now desperately needed against her heated skin. She ignored his offered coat and moved to the limo without waiting for him.
A few more steps. Just get inside and he’ll put an end to this misery
.

Garrett caught her around the waist just before her hand touched the door. “Ah ah.” He reached down and pressed the vibe more firmly against her, the alternating pressure of his hand combining with the vibrations until her entire body was shaking. He kissed the sensitive spot behind her ear. “How close are you?”

So close that she thought she might die if he pulled back now. She took a deep breath and tried to tone down the desperation in her voice—she knew him well enough to know that it would only drive him to torment her longer. “Close, Sir.”
Hold it together, hold it together, damn it you are
not
coming right now
.

“You’ve been very good tonight.”

Couldn’t they have this conversation in the goddamn limo? She swallowed hard. “Thank you, Sir.”

“Do you want me to kiss it better?”

Fuck, yes
. Again, she forced a pause. “I would like that very much.”

She actually felt his body shudder against hers. “Then get your ass in that limo.”

He was the one who’d stopped her in the first place, but she refrained from pointing that out. She grabbed the bottom of her dress so she wouldn’t trip on it, and yanked open the door. It was blessedly warm inside, and she hadn’t realized how cold she was until he followed her in and shut the door behind her.

But he didn’t touch her, instead taking the seat across from her. “Show me.”

She glanced at the privacy screen in the front, but couldn’t tell if it was up or not in the shadows. One look at Garrett’s suddenly forbidding expression had her pulling at the bottom of her dress anyways. She took her time, though, making him wait the same way he’d made her suffer for the last two hours. By the time the fabric hit the top of her thighs, she was breathing hard, but she kept going, shifting it over to the seat next to her and baring her panties to him.

“Those, too.”

Taking a deep breath, she slid them down her legs. The sudden lack of vibrator nearly made her cry out, though she wasn’t sure if it was in relief or loss. The way Garrett zeroed in on that spot more than made it for it, though. “Spread your legs.”

She obeyed, moaning when he finally moved to his knees in front of her. He gripped her thighs, forcing them wider yet. “Silence, baby. One sound comes out of that gorgeous mouth and I stop.”

“Sadist.”

His grip tightened. “That was your only pass. Do you understand?”

He’d do it, too. He’d deprive them both if she broke his rules. Ridley closed her eyes and nodded. They flew open again, though, when his mouth made contact. He licked her as if she was his favorite kind of dessert and he wanted to savor her taste. “You’re awfully wet, baby. Did that vibe please you?”

She nodded, biting her lip to keep a moan inside as he licked her.

“I can tell.” He ducked down again, tracing her opening once, twice, a third time, before moving back to her clit. She panted under his assault, words bubbling up until she slapped a hand over her mouth to keep them silent.

“You love this as much as I do.” A lick. “I spent all dinner thinking about how good your pussy tastes. How wet you get for me and me alone.” Another lick. “How I’m the only one who can make you come like this. Are you ready, baby? You’ve had one building for hours.”

She nodded, tilting her hips up in silent offering. She could feel him grin against her skin. “I thought so.” He slid his hands under her ass and pulled her farther down the seat, lifting her hips up to meet his mouth. “Come for me, Ridley.” Then he sucked on her clit, laying into it with teeth and tongue.

She screamed, tangling her hands in his long hair, grinding herself against his mouth. He growled, pulling her even closer, fucking her with his tongue and her orgasm went on and on. When he finally lifted his head, she was pretty sure she heard angels singing in a choir somewhere. “You please me more than you can begin to imagine.”

He moved to sit beside her and pulled her dress down to cover her. She reached for his pants, but he stopped her with a hand on her wrist. “Not yet, baby. Now it’s time for your reward.”

She let out a shuddering breath, the aftereffects of her orgasm still making her lethargic. “I’d say you more than rewarded me.”

“That was just a taste.” He picked up her panties off the floor and slipped them into his pocket. The vibe went back into his bag. “Oh, good—we’re here.”

Here? She finally worked up enough energy to look out the window and frowned. If she didn’t know better, it looked like they’d just pulled up in front of one of the old theaters scattered around Manhattan. When he said he’d give her a reward, she’d expected something of the kinky variety.

Maybe he was going to take her on stage and follow through on his promises? She shivered at the thought. He’d already gone above and beyond anything she’d ever experienced in the dating department. If it got much better, he really was going to ruin her for other men.

The thought left her more than a little terrified.

…

Garrett was really starting to second-guess his intelligence for planning a long, drawn out date, when all he wanted to do was bury himself inside Ridley and never let go. But the wonder on her face as he led her into the empty theater was worth the epic case of blue-balls he sported.

Even as he led her down the aisle, he wondered what the fuck he was trying to do here. It was something he’d gone out of his way not to think about while he was planning tonight, but if he wanted to keep the lines between them clear, he should have just carted her to Serve or something—not taken her on a goddamn date.

Even if the look of wonder on her face warmed things in his chest that he’d thought long dead.

“Another favor?”

He blinked, focusing back on her. “This one’s all me.” The owner was an old Army buddy of his, and Mark had been only too happy to open especially for them tonight. He led her to a pair of seats in the center of the theater and grinned at the sight of a bottle of champagne on ice.

She started to sit, but he pulled her into his lap, needing the contact to keep himself from thinking too hard. She laughed. “Is this my reward?”

“Just wait.”

The lights went down and the screen lit up, the old intro with the dancing popcorn and other movie snacks parading across it as they sang. Ridley shifted, settling against him. Her laugh of delight as the opening credits came on was a reward in and of itself. “Frankenstein?”

“I thought you’d appreciate it.”

“I do.” She shot him a look over her shoulder. “Though you opened a can of worms, because now I’m going to want to watch all the old monster movies. I haven’t seen them on the big screen since they did that special back in high school.”

“I remember.”

“I see that.” She settled down to watch, her head resting on his shoulder. Though he intended to watch her more than the movie, these old films had been something they’d shared back in the day. She’d bring them over to watch with Sara—who would inevitably wander off or pass out—and he’d end up sitting with Ridley. It was during this particular movie when he’d first kissed her, the distance between them shrinking as the plot wound out, until she’d been nearly in his lap.

Just like she was now.

It was enough to have all the old fears rushing back. He could remember holding her the weekend after his mother bounced out, and realizing that he was barely functioning as a result from the loss…and wondering if he’d survive Ridley leaving him, too. The realization that he wasn’t sure he could had rocked his eighteen-year-old soul.

That was when he’d decided he had to leave first—as soon as possible.

What he’d felt for her eight years ago compared to tonight was a candle in the face of a bonfire. What had started as satisfying his craving was rapidly becoming something deeper, stronger, more forceful. He held her closer, as if having his arms around her was enough to keep her with him forever.

It wasn’t. Fuck, history had more than proven that.

She shifted again—the third time in as many minutes—her ass rubbing against his cock in a way that had him fighting back a groan. He dropped his hand to the slice of skin bared by the slit in her dress, closing his eyes and letting the feel of her calm the inner demons clamoring in fear. It seemed the only way to truly silence them was to bury himself deep inside her.

He was more than okay with that.

Garrett kissed her neck. “You’re supposed to be watching the movie.”