Obession by Design (5 page)

Emmett
nodded. “I remember those days. It was the same all over the world.”

“Yes.
What little news reports we received said so. He told me he’d start right away.
He’d handle all the paperwork, make sure my relatives and Keith’s were buried,
and he’d ensure my father and grandmother would be placed in a facility
underground near me. In exchange, though, I had to sleep with him.”

He
stopped stroking her arm and looked at her like he wasn’t sure what she’d just
said. “Are you kidding me?”

“I
wish I was. I only did it because I was desperate. It was a stupid thing to do,
but I literally was out of options and out of time. I had called close to one
hundred attorneys, and he was the only one who even gave me an appointment. The
agencies that had been set up to help people were swamped, and I was told by
most of them to leave my father and grandmother above ground, and simply go.”

“But
you couldn’t do that.”

She
shook her head and wiped away the tears that trickled down her cheeks. “No. I
couldn’t do it. Would you have been able to do that?”

“No,
and that’s the truth. I couldn’t have done it either.”

She
let out the breath she’d been holding. To know that even one other person
understood made all the difference in the world. “Connor said it would only be
one time he wanted me in bed, but of course that turned out not to be true.”
Her skin still crawled with the memory. “Each time a new obstacle came up where
he had to intervene and wade through the legal mess, I found myself back in his
bed for an hour or two.”

Emmett’s
eyes blazed, dark and threatening. A muscle twitched in his jaw.

“When
I finally moved underground and found a facility to take my father and
grandmother, I reported Connor to the bar, but nothing came of it. I don’t even
know where he’s practicing now.”

He
took his phone out of his pocket. “We’ll see about that. Spell his name for
me.”

The
image of a knight on a white horse raced through her mind as she spelled
Connor’s name for Emmett. “I don’t know if you can do anything, but thank you.”

“Oh,
I can do something. I assure you of that.”

They
locked gazes, and
Liane
felt as though she were
falling into a pool of clear blue water. Those eyes drew her right in. The
spell was broken by a sound from the hallway. She cleared her throat. “And so,
they’re still there, in that facility. For the past six months, neither one
knew who I was when I went to visit, so I was okay leaving them because I know
they’re being well cared for.”

“You
can return anytime you want to see them.”

“Thank
you. It helps knowing that.” She cut her gaze toward their plates. “I hate to
waste this food.”

Emmett
brushed a finger along her face, and her sigh almost sounded like a moan.
“You’ve been through more than any one person should have had to endure. I’m
going to look into this scumbag attorney. I promise you that, but for tonight …
just for one night … let’s both put aside the past and focus on each other.”

“I’m
ready to put it all aside.”

“What
that bastard did to you was wrong, but I don’t blame you for giving in. You
were so young, and had no resources to help you deal with everything. I want
you to know that’s not what I’m out to do. I’m not out to take advantage of you
or hurt you.”

“I
know that.”

He
looked relieved. “Thank you. You’re an intelligent, straightforward woman,
Liane
. I’m not going to play games with you. I hired you
for your skills, and even if you won’t have sex with me, you’re not going to
lose your job.”

Her
heart raced. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“I
hope you will, because I think you’re beautiful.” He moved his hand to her hair
and stroked it gently, the way one would do to a child. “This color reminds me
of the sunsets I remember from above ground, and I’ve never seen eyes so
pretty.”

He
smelled great, he looked great, and he said all the right things. It wasn’t
only surface attraction. She knew that. Underneath the slick business owner
exterior was a compassionate man, and she was lonely.
So very
lonely.
The last man she’d had sex with had been Connor. She’d avoided
relationships like the plague since then. Wasn’t it time to enjoy a man again?

Liane
licked her lips as he held her
gaze. “So, where did you get the shrimp scampi?”

His
laugh was soft and easy. “I told you that you’d owe me something very special
for telling you.”

Liane’s
entire body tingled. This was
it. All she had to do was let it happen. “What will I owe you?”

Emmett
cupped her face and this time she did moan. He kissed her, and it was so sudden
and unexpected she barely responded. Then he released the kiss and gazed at her
with dark eyes. “
That,
and more of the same. I want
you in every room of this apartment. I want you wearing this dress but no
underwear, and then I want you naked, tied to my bed.”

Holy fuck…

“And
when we don’t think we can fuck one more minute, I want you in the bathtub, all
slick and sweaty as our bodies move together. Are you on any contraception, by
the way?”

She
nodded. She’d never stopped using it after Molly was born.

“Good.
I have no STDs. May I assume the same of you?”

“I
have none.”

He
grinned in a way that made her pussy wet. “Then we have nothing standing in our
way, do we?”

Liane
could barely breathe. She stared
into those ice blue eyes and felt her resolve slip away as easily as one of
those shrimp would slip off a fork. She wanted this man, and she wanted him
now.

Chapter
Five

Liane
shook her head.
“Nothing.
Nothing is standing in our way.”

Emmett
kissed her again, longer this time, but he released her mouth before she could
part her lips to let his tongue inside. Her body ached for him now. Her pussy
was soaked, and her nipples tingled. Every fiber of her being wanted to be
naked with him. The light in his eyes was full of lust and amusement. No one
had ever looked at her with such raw passion, and it sent her mind reeling with
erotic images.

“Have
you ever been tied up?”

She
shook her head. Words weren’t possible right now.

“How
about spanked?”

“Oh
God,” she whispered.

He
moved his hand off her face, down into the valley between her breasts and over
her abdomen, lazily, as if he hadn’t a care in the world. She watched it move,
aware of the tiniest details she hadn’t noticed before. He had several small
scars on the first three fingers of his right hand, and the nail on the middle
finger was an odd shape. Had he been injured during one of his adventures above
ground?

When
he reached her thigh, he brushed his hand over her skirt and then played with
the hem. “Look at me.”

She
couldn’t have disobeyed that voice if she’d wanted to. It wasn’t cruel, but it
left no doubt it expected the listener to comply.

“Are
you wearing panties?”

“Yes.”

“And a bra?”

“Yes.”

“Do
they match?”

She
smiled. “Yes.”

“Good
girl. Make sure you always wear matching underwear from now on.”

“All right.”

He
moved the hem of her skirt up, higher and higher, so damn slowly that
Liane
was sure she’d burst. The anticipation was killing
her. Just as he was about to lift it high enough to expose her groin, a woman
poked her head into the room.

“Pardon
me, but do you want me and Jeremy to clear the dishes yet?”

Emmett
didn’t move his hand. In fact, he seemed totally nonplussed that he’d just been
caught feeling her up. “Yes, Kim, but leave the wine. And then give us privacy
please.”

“Of course.”
She and a man stacked the dishes
on a cart so quickly that
Liane
knew they must be
used to this. She pushed away those thoughts. No one else was here now. She
would not allow his past conquests to intrude on this evening.

Once
they left and had closed the panel doors on both sides of the room, Emmett
smiled at her. “Now where were we? Oh yes.” He moved her skirt up over her
groin and then her abdomen. “Those are very pretty. You like things to match,
don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“So
do
I
.” Emmett released her skirt and gently pulled her
to feet. “Take them off but leave the dress on.”

Liane
found it difficult to take a
full breath. She removed the panties and then glanced around, wondering where
to put them. He took them from her and tossed them on top of her laptop bag.
“Now the sandals.”

Those
she simply kicked off and left on the floor.

“And now the bra.”

She
had a trickier time with that, but he didn’t seem to mind waiting. In fact, he
grinned the entire time as he watched, and then once again took it from her to
place with the panties. “That’s better.” His gaze traveled slowly over her body
until
Liane
was sure she’d go out of her mind with
need. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“I’m
very excited right now.”

“Excited
how?
Sexually?
The way you feel before a presentation?
The anticipation of a new adventure?”

“Sexually.”

“Good
girl. That’s how I want you all the time. Wet and ready for me. Are you wet,
Liane
?”

She
moaned softly. “Yes. Very.”

“I
thought so. I can smell it on you.” Emmett moved away from her, and she watched
him light candles around the room, then open a credenza to reveal a sound
system. Soft music filled the room. She recognized the tune. It was current,
and very popular with teens who liked to make out in the dark. Her giggle sent
another grin to his face.

“Something funny?”

She
told him what she was thinking about the music.

“That’s
why I chose it.” He held out his hands. “Would you care to dance?”

“Oh
… um … okay. I haven’t in forever.”

He
was next to her now, smelling fantastic and exuding sexual energy. It was so
powerful she could feel it, and it was such a new experience for her that she
grew lightheaded. She and Keith had fumbled around so much in bed that while
Liane
had enjoyed it, she’d never really known what it felt
like to make love to a man who was confident and practiced. Connor had been
nothing more than a rutting pig. She’d always fantasized about this, and now
that it was real, she didn’t know what to do with it.

Forty-eight
hours ago she’d been saying goodbye to her father and grandmother in another
city. Now here she was, with one of the richest men in any city, slow dancing
in his dining room, wearing nothing but her dress. It felt like a dream, but it
wasn’t.

The
bulge in the front of his pants as he pressed his body closer to hers was
certainly real. The way he held her in his arms with quiet assurance was real.
And the easy grace with which he guided her around the room was as real as it
got.

Emmett
moved closer still and nuzzled her neck, planting tiny kisses up and down it.
“You’re a good dancer.”

“That’s
because you’re so easy to dance with.”

“You
flatter me.”

“Ah,
in case you haven’t noticed, you’re a gorgeous charming man.”

Emmett
smiled at her, his face mere inches from hers. “And you are a beautiful, sexy
woman who has never really lived.”

He
released her hands and cupped her face, then kissed her. This time, he took her
mouth with an urgent fervor that took her breath away. She reached around his
waist and clung to him, letting his tongue inside. Deep moans escaped her
throat as his mouth moved over hers in ways she’d only dreamed of, and when he
finally broke the kiss, she was panting.

“I
want you,” he said, his voice rough and deep. “I want to make love to you. No
strings attached. Can you handle that? I don’t do the romance thing,
Liane
. I only see one woman at a time, and right now I want
that woman to be you. Can we do this? Can we see where this leads us? I want to
dress you up and take you out, and show you things you’ve only dreamed
existed.”

Her
mind reeled with everything he’d just said to her. She hardly knew which
question to answer first. “I want all of that, too. I want to make love to you,
too.”

He
moaned softly. “Are you sure?”

“Oh
yes. I’ve never been
more sure
of anything in my
life.”

“Oh,
Liane
…” Emmett kissed her again, smashing his lips
against her mouth and then shoving his tongue inside until she could barely
breathe. If he hadn’t been holding her she’d have collapsed onto the floor. He
tangled his fingers in her hair and gave it just enough of a tug that she knew
he meant business, but not enough to cause any real pain.

She
pushed her hips against his erection and moved her tongue over his, imitating
his movements. She needed this man inside her right now or she was going to die
from desire. Was that possible? It had to be, because she’d never felt such
intense longing.

His
mouth still on hers, he backed her up against the sideboard and then released
the kiss. “Turn around.”

Once
again, she obeyed without hesitation. Emmett leaned her over the furniture,
next to her laptop. Her bra and panties stared her in the face as he tugged her
hair until her head was back, and then he licked her neck. “I’m going to fuck
you,
Liane
. And you’re going to take it.”

She
cried out in pleasure as he moved his other hand over her ass, giving each
cheek a couple of hard smacks. The dress wasn’t thick, and it stung, but she
absolutely adored it. He let go of her hair and pushed the dress up, revealing
her ass. “Oh yes. I knew you had a nice one.” His hands caressed her cheeks,
moving down the backs of her thighs and up her lower back. “You are exquisite.”

Liane
didn’t answer him. She couldn’t.
All she could do was close her eyes and absorb the sensations. Never had she
been taken like this. This was heady and raw. It sent her emotions spiraling
out of control and her arousal to places it had never gone.

He
told her to spread her legs a bit, and then he slipped a finger into her ass
crack and underneath to her throbbing clit, over and over, until she pushed
back against him and writhed against his touch. “Please…” she whispered.

His
lips grazed her neck. “Please what?”

“Oh…”

Emmett
slid a finger between her moist folds, and
Liane
cried out again as fresh desire raced through her. “You are soaking wet.”

“I
can’t help it. You did that to me.”

“
Mmmm
… I can’t wait to taste it.”

Her
exhale came out in a shudder, and when he pushed his other hand into the
opening at the front of the dress and placed it over her left breast, she began
to whimper. He rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger while she
shook her head back and forth, silently begging for release.

“I
wonder how these taste.”

“Please.”

“Tell
me what you want,
Liane
.
In detail.
Or I won’t do anything more than I’m doing right now for the entire night.”

How
the hell did he have this kind of control? Was he human?

“I
want you to make love to me.”

He
chuckled, and shivers ran up and down her spine. Emmett gave her nipple a
squeeze, and the tiny jolt of electricity it sent straight to her clit forced a
loud moan from her. “You’re going to have to do better than that, gorgeous.
Come on. Use your imagination.”

Shit.
He was going to torture her with
sex. “Okay. I want you to lick that.”

Another squeeze, this one
tighter.
She
cried out again.
“That what?
Use real names. Come on,
Liane
. You’re a grown woman with a lush body. Own it. Tell
me what you want me to do to every square inch of it.”

“Spank
me more. I loved that. And lick my nipples. And suck them. Please.”

“Good
girl.” He moved his hand to the other breast, where he proceeded to tease it in
the same way. Then he slipped a long finger into her pussy, slowly, while she
let out a long moan. “Don’t stop. Tell me more. What else do you want me to do
to you?”

“Fuck
me.
With your tongue, your fingers, and your dick.”

“Good
girl.
Very good.”
He moved his finger in and out
gently, and the movement sent shock waves straight to her clit. She was going
to come. No doubt about it.

“I
can’t think anymore.”

He
kissed her neck. “Yes, you can.”

“You
mentioned tying me to your bed.”

“Yes,
I did.”
That voice!
It washed over
her until no other sound existed. “Tell me about that. What do you picture when
you think about it?”

“I’ve
always had fantasies.”

He
moaned softly as he continued playing with her nipple and her pussy. “Is that
true? Tell me about them. Please,
Liane
.”

The
realization this was turning him on just as much sent her excitement level
through the roof. “I want you to tie me down and spank me, and then fuck me
silly. Fuck me until neither one of us can breathe.”

“Oh my God.
You shall have your wish,
beautiful lady. But first, if I don’t get inside that hot, wet pussy I’m going
to come in my pants.”

Emmett
turned her around and kissed her so deep and rough that
Liane
could hardly stand up when he released it. He cupped her face and gazed at her
with an intense, dark look that was almost dangerous, but she wasn’t afraid.
Her blood boiled. She’d never wanted anything so badly in her life. “You’re
mine.”

Before
she could react to that statement, he turned her to face the sideboard again
and bent her over so that her torso rested on it.
Liane
braced herself on her hands as Emmett caressed her thighs and ass cheeks. He
slid a finger into her pussy from behind again, and then she heard him unzip
his pants. She held her breath, and then cried out in surprise as he swatted
her bare ass cheeks, several times in quick succession.