PleasureGames: A Games Novella (10 page)

"Wait," Heathcliff called. "Juno, wait!"

"Fuck you," I wept, racing away as fast as I could.

Anguish ripped me apart. How could I fall for Heathcliff again after he'd hurt me the last time? I slammed into the elevator and hammered on the 'door close' button, waiting for it to take me back to my room. As the doors shut, I saw Heathcliff round the corner, a furious look on his face.

"Juno," I heard him bellow as the doors closed. "Fucking
wait
!"

No. Absolutely not. I hugged my chest, wrapping my arms around myself, letting the tears pour down my face. To think I'd been giddy with tonight's date. To think I'd been excited about the possibilities between me and Heathcliff again.

To think that he'd wound me so freaking quickly after I'd fallen for him again. Did I never learn? I was so freaking stupid, so childishly naive that I only saw what I wanted to see.

The elevator stopped on my floor, and I rushed out, heading for my room. The need to get away, to escape all of this, hammered through me. Fuck the money. I'd get it some other way. This torture-fest of head games wasn't worth it.

I hammered in the pass code to the suite I shared with Leona, and stumbled in, swiping at my cheeks as I wept. Leona was laying on her bed, flipping through a magazine, and she sat up as I entered. "Juno? Oh my God, are you okay?"

"I'm leaving," I told her with a hiccup. "I can't take this any longer."

"What? Why?"

I shook my head. I didn't want to talk about it. I just wanted to leave. I thumped my suitcase onto my bed and began to toss clothing into it. I had to get out of here before Heathcliff found out I'd run to my room and was leaving.

"I don't understand, Juno. You were so happy earlier. What's causing you to run away?"

I flinched at her words. Running away? "I'm not running!"

"Yes, you are," Leona said, utterly puzzled. "What else would you call this?"

"I..." I swallowed hard, realization hitting me.

I
was
running away.

I sat down heavily on the edge of the bed. Heathcliff was right.

Whenever things got hard, I dropped everything and ran. I hadn't even stopped to question anything. I'd just assumed Heathcliff was fucking around and had retreated, so sure I was going to get hurt again. I wasn't giving him the chance to hurt me again.

And...that scared me.

It had hurt when Heathcliff and I had broken up the first time. It had hurt so badly that I still carried the scars. And the thought of losing him again terrified me more than I even wanted to think about. Maybe that was why I was running now. Because I knew how much pain it would cause and I didn't want to go through it again.

But...wasn't Heathcliff worth a bit more effort? I shut my bag, thinking hard. What would be the worst thing that could happen if I went and confronted Heathcliff?

I'd go back and get my heart broken again...which was exactly the same thing that would happen if I left now.

Or I could turn around, give him and Diamond both a piece of my mind, and get it out of my system.

I could stop running.

And maybe it wouldn't get me Heathcliff back, but maybe I also wouldn't carry around the scars of another breakup for the next eight years. Maybe I wouldn't spend them like the walking wounded.

But even as I steeled myself, my heart hurt. I wanted my Heathcliff back. My beautiful, practical man with eyes only for me. Was he truly shallow enough to go make out with another woman in the garden while my back was turned? If I turned off the panic in my mind and listened to my heart, it told me no, he wasn't that kind of man.

But finding out the truth would mean facing him again, and that suddenly felt like an enormous task.

I sucked in a deep breath and closed my eyes. Did I want Heathcliff more than I wanted to be safe and protected and alone?

I did.

I opened my eyes and wiped them dry, then gave Leona a small smile. "I'm okay. I just...panicked."

"Is everything all right?" My friend looked so worried. "What did Heathcliff do to you?"

I picked up my bag and set it in the closet again, my mind made up. I wasn't going to run this time. I wasn't. Even if finding out what was going on with Diamond hurt like a thousand knives, I'd endure it, because...because I knew it wasn't true. That wasn't my H. He'd never even looked at another woman when we were together, all those years ago. Why would he change now?

I clenched a fist and pressed it over my heart, willing it to stop thudding so hard. "I caught Heathcliff kissing Diamond out in the gardens."

Leona gave an outraged gasp. "What? That bitch."

I was surprised at her immediate defense of Heathcliff. "You don't think it was him?"

"Of course not! He's been utterly gaga over you the entire time."

I nodded. "I...freaked out a bit at first, but now that I've had time to turn things over in my head, that's what I think, too. I'm going down to talk to him."

"Good for you," Leona said with a firm nod. "Go get your man out of her clutches."

She can't keep him there if he doesn't want to be there, I wanted to point out, but I took a deep, steadying breath, composed myself, and moved for the door.

When I opened it, Heathcliff was on the other side, readying to knock. There was a frantic look on his face that quickly changed to relief at the sight of me.

"Juno," he groaned, stepping inside. Then, his hands were clasping my face to his and he pressed his forehead to mine. "God, Juno, don't run like that. Please, let me explain. It wasn't what you saw. I--"

"I know," I said softly. "It's okay."

"She kissed me," he said quickly. "I've never wanted anyone but you. Never. Never looked at anyone else but you. You're my entire world. You're my universe. You--"

"Shh," I said softly, relieved that I wasn't the only one panicking. I smoothed his messy hair off his brow. "I'm not running this time. I promise."

"I love you," he whispered, eyes closed as he held my face to his. "I've never stopped loving you. Don't leave me, Juno, please."

"It's okay, really," I told him. And it was. I knew him. I trusted him. Heathcliff was many things, but he wasn't a cheater.

"No, it's not," he told me. "I had no idea she was going to do that." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a DVD. "I was late getting up here because I had production burn the last hour of garden footage onto this disk so I could show you. She pretended to twist her ankle and when I tried to help her up, she kissed me. That was the moment you came out. I think she did it on purpose."

"I know," I said softly. And it made sense. It really did. "I trust you. I don't have to see the DVD." My hand cupped his cheek. "Really, it's okay."

"Well," Leona said, plucking the DVD from his hand. "If it's all the same to you, I'd like to see this for myself." She hustled it over to the TV, giving Heathcliff and me a moment alone.

He closed his eyes again, the look of pain on his face intense. "I thought you'd left again. Thought you'd run because I'd hurt you--"

"I did at first," I admitted. My hand caressed his jaw, tracing my fingers along his skin, rough with five o’clock shadow. "I ran, just like you said I did. It's easier to run. But then I realized that if I ran, I was going to lose something worth fighting for." And I leaned in and kissed his mouth. "You."

Heathcliff groaned and crushed me against him. His mouth bruised mine in a wild, passionate kiss, but I didn't mind. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on tightly as his tongue swept into my mouth, claiming me as his. Because I wanted to be his, and I wanted him to be mine.

"Hey, when you two stop playing tonsil hockey," Leona called a few moments later, "I found the spot in the footage. He's right - Diamond all but wraps her man-eating legs around him."

I giggled at Leona's descriptions. "I don't need to see it," I told her. And I didn't want to see it. I didn't want to see Diamond kissing Heathcliff, because I might go up to her room and claw her eyes out for touching him.

Heathcliff kissed me again, mouth fervent. "I hope you don't mind, but I did an immediate vote off at that point. No ceremony. No nothing. She's gone. They moved her to a different part of the hotel and she's flying out as soon as daylight hits."

"Mmm, good," I told him, pressing my breasts to his chest. "Can we finish the rest of our date, then?"

"You...want to go back to the gardens?"

"I was thinking of someplace a bit more...private," I whispered to him, then bit my lip. "Your room's not wired with cameras, is it?"

His eyes widened, and then he shook his head. "God, I love you." He pressed another fierce kiss to my mouth, then looked over his shoulder. "Leona, we're leaving."

"You two kids have fun," she said, amused. "Use protection."

Bless Leona for being such a good friend.

"
F
uck this show
. Fuck all of it. I'm done. Do something with what you've got, because I'm fucking done."
-- Heathcliff Forester, the Billionaire Bachelor, Episode 6 Interview

H
eathcliff's room
was a million miles away from mine. Or...at least it felt like that. We raced down the hall, hand in hand, and made it to the elevator before we started kissing again. "Juno," he murmured between kisses, his hand hot on my bare back. "Juno. My Juno."

I smiled and nuzzled my nose to his. "My H," I said softly, not caring that we were being sappy. "I'm so glad you're mine."

"I'm so glad you didn't run." He leaned in and kissed the tip of my nose. "Though this time, I think I would have come after you."

"I would have let you come after me," I said playfully. "After lots and lots of groveling."

He leaned back and arched one of those sinful eyebrows at me. "Even though I did nothing wrong?"

I ran a hand down the front of his shirt. "You let me get away the first time, didn't you?"

Heathcliff chuckled. "I suppose I did. I won't make the same mistake again." The look in his eyes was intense, promising all kinds of naughty things--

And the elevator dinged, and the doors swung open. Drat. We'd have to hold that thought.

With a wiggle of his eyebrows, Heathcliff took my hand in his again, and tugged me after him. "You'll be happy to know that I'm the only one currently on this floor."

I laughed. "Why would I be happy to know that?"

He looked back at me, a roguish expression on his face. "Because I can remember how loud you get when I touch you."

My breath caught in my throat. Desire pulsed through my body, and I squeezed his hand. "Then walk faster, so I can show you just how loud I can be."

Heathcliff gave me a challenging look, then grabbed me behind the knees and swung me into his arms, then charged down the hall. I squealed with laughter as he carried me, feeling light and fresh and so utterly happy. Tonight could have been a nightmare, and instead, it felt like a rebirth. It was like no one existed outside of myself and Heathcliff.

My H. Always my H.

My laughter died as Heathcliff paused in front of a large double door and he set me down gently. I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my cheek against his back as he dialed the code to his room, so full of love and lust for this man. How had we managed eight years apart? I didn't want to spend another eight minutes without him.

His hand covered mine, and he patted it. "The door's open, June-bug. You need to let go of me so we can go inside."

"Mmm," I said lazily, not moving. "I don't feel like letting go of you, ever."

"I'm going to hold you to that," he said, and tugged me forward, my arms still wrapped around his chest. We stumbled into his room and the door swung shut behind us. No sooner had it shut than he turned in my grip and tilted my face up to him, then leaned down and kissed my mouth with infinite tenderness. "I don't plan on letting you go ever, either."

I smiled up at him. "It's definitely going to make it challenging for them to film the rest of the show."

"Fuck the show," he said, grinning. "I've got what I wanted. All I ever wanted out of this rigmarole was you."

"You got me," I said, sliding a hand down to his ass and squeezing. "Now...what are you going to do with me?"

"Strip you naked and make you beg for orgasms?" He nipped my mouth, voice husky. "Bury my face between your legs and lick you until you quiver? Tease those gorgeous breasts of yours until you can't wait to feed them to my hungry mouth? Bend you over the couch and fuck you so hard we break the furniture?"

I trembled at his words. "Do I have to pick? Or can I just say I'd like one of all of the above?"

"You can have all of it, my love." His smile became lethal. "We have all night." His hand moved to my side, then slid down my bare back. "But first, I want to strip you naked. I feel like it's been forever since I've seen that lovely body of yours."

It had been, but I didn't want to spoil the mood by pointing that out. Instead, I tilted my head so he could undo the tie at the base of my neck. "I'm all yours."

"And God, I love that," he said fiercely. He moved in and captured my mouth in another hot, possessive kiss as he undid the knot of the elegant white dress I'd worn that night. The fabric fell away from my neck, and down went the front of the dress, landing in a loose pool at my waist. Just like that, I was bare from the hips up.

He groaned at the sight, tearing his mouth from mine to admire my body. "You're so fucking beautiful, Juno. I'd forgotten how beautiful." The back of his hand skimmed along my shoulder, then he trailed his knuckles down my front, down my breastbone, down the flat of my belly, and then to the curve of my hips, where I was ticklish.

I sucked in and held my breath, wanting to pull away from him and wanting the sensation to continue. Arousal was blooming through me, and I pressed my thighs together, feeling the heat and slickness between my legs. My pulse pounded, and my breasts felt tight and aching. I needed to be touched by him. Wanted his hands cupping my breasts, his fingers teasing my nipples, his caresses as he explored my pussy. Panting, I waited for him to touch me again, my lips parted and my body tingling with arousal.

But all he did was study me further, that crooked, delicious little smile on his mouth. "I can see your skin reacting to my nearness," Heathcliff murmured, leaning in. His mouth skimmed along mine, then moved to my jaw, tracing it with his lips. "You're covered with the most delicious little chill bumps, like you're cold. Are you cold?"

"No," I breathed.

"Just aroused, then, love?"

I nodded, my throat thick with need.

"So...what will happen if I keep arousing you further?" he murmured, leaning down and kissing my bare shoulder. His hand moved over my skin, caressing.

"Spontaneous human combustion?" I tried to joke, but the words came out breathless and lost their edge. I did feel as if I was on fire, though. I hadn't felt so alive in years, and in this last week, I'd felt more than I had in god only knew how long. And I wanted to keep feeling. To keep dreaming. To keep loving.

So I gave the fabric pooled at my waist a tug, and my dress fell to the floor. Then, I was in nothing but my tiny white thong panties that matched my dress.

"Damn," Heathcliff said in a hoarse voice and took a step back so he could look me up and down. "I cannot believe I ever let you get away."

I looped one arm around his neck and leaned against him, pressing my breasts against his chest. "It wasn't that you let me get away, H. We just both had impossible situations that couldn't be resolved by staying together. But..." I ran a hand down his chest and began to undo his buttons. "That doesn't mean we aren't perfect together now."

"No more dwelling on the past?"

I nodded and undid another button. "Only the future for us."

"I'm down with that." His hand caressed my breast, cupping the weight of it and then thumbing the nipple until it was taut. "Can't wait to put my mouth on these again."

"I'm down with
that
," I teased, "But I want you just as naked as me first."

He grinned and leaned in, giving me another quick, fierce kiss that he punctuated with a squeeze to my breast. Then he let go of me and shrugged off his jacket.

I watched his movements with appreciation. Even in his haste to undress, Heathcliff was graceful and sexy. His long limbs moved with a confidence that I remembered and made me flush with pleasure to see once more. The buttons flew apart under his quick fingers and then he shrugged his shirt to the floor. And oh, he was pretty to look at -- all hard muscles and warm skin. When his hands went to the waistband of his pants and began to undo his belt, I stopped him. "Let me."

He gave me a surprised look and then pulled me against him to kiss me once more, mouth hungry on mine. "Do what you like with me, then, love."

As we kissed, I undid his belt, then tugged it free of the loops. It fell to the carpet and I kicked it aside, then grazed the back of my hand down the front of his trousers. He was erect, straining against the fabric, and as I brushed against him, I felt Heathcliff groan against my mouth. The desire to touch him, to hold that aching length in my hand, hit me with almost palpable force, and I fumbled in my haste to undo his zipper. Then, his pants were sliding down his legs and there was nothing separating him from my grasp but his boxers. I shoved them down hastily and palmed his cock, moaning at the incredible heat of him. "I love that all this is for me."

"Every last damn inch," he rasped, and his hands went to my breasts again. Which was only fair, I supposed, since I was caressing his cock.

"I want it all inside me," I told him, breathless. "Deep and hard and pumping me full of you."

Those molten silver eyes focused on me, and then he pulled me against him and began to drag me toward the king-sized bed in the center of the suite's bedroom. To my amusement, we hadn't made it further than a few steps into the room. It was hard to keep my hands off of Heathcliff after eight long years of wanting, though. Even as we walked, I kept touching him over and over again, anywhere and everywhere I could.

When we made it to the bed, Heathcliff ripped the blankets aside and then pulled me close for another deep, arousing kiss that left me breathless. Then, he gave me a wicked grin and sat me on the edge of the bed, then nudged me backward.

I fell back, and then winced as something hard stabbed me in the back of the head. "Ow!" I immediately sat up again, rubbing my head. The starfish had jabbed me.

Heathcliff tsked, pushing my fingers aside so he could check my wounded head for me. "You're all right," he said after a moment. "But how about we let your hair down? I love you best when you're just you." His fingers plucked the starfish out of my hair and tossed it aside, followed by a few pins. I remained still as he continued to work on my 'conch shell' braid, his hands brushing through strands of my hair and undoing Leona's artful work. After several minutes, there was a pile of bobby pins on one corner of the bed and my hair was falling about my shoulders in kinked, loose waves. He chuckled and ran his fingers through one particularly wavy section. "I find the braids you've been wearing endlessly fascinating, I have to admit."

"That's Leona's doing," I said proudly. "She's incredibly talented."

"She's not the only one," he told me, then trailed a finger down my jaw. "I've bought several of your works, you know. They're incredible."

"You have?" My heart gave a little squeeze of delight. "Did you see they had some of my vases here on display? Was that you?"

"It was," he said, that finger sliding down my neck and then gliding over the tip of one breast again. "Anything that could convince you to give me a second chance? I was all for it. I actually had assistants go through eBay and online sites looking for your works so I could buy them up. I have an entire case of them at home in my office."

I was touched. To think he'd gone to so much effort to get a few of my pieces. I slid a hand down his bare chest, filled with love for him. "Please tell me you have condoms with you?"

His mouth crooked up in a half smile. "The bathroom's full of them. I think the producers expected me to sleep with several of the girls."

I stiffened. "Did they, now?"

"Yes, they still can't seem to get through their heads that there's only one woman I'm interested in." His thumb brushed over my lower lip. "Which is why we're voting everyone else off tomorrow in an impromptu decision. I've already decided. There's no point in dragging things on."

"Are you sure?"

He gave me an incredulous look. "Of course I'm sure. I love you." He took my hand in his and kissed it. "I've never stopped loving you. Not for a single minute."

My eyes pricked with tears, but I gave him a smile.

"Then get the damn condoms already."

He grinned, kissed my hand again, and then hauled off the bed to the bathroom. As he searched for condoms, I moved the starfish and bobby pins to a bedside table, lest someone get stabbed in the ass in the heat of the moment. Then, bed cleared, I sat on the edge and glanced around his room, noting that the decor here was stark and minimalist compared to the room Leona and I shared, but I liked it. It reminded me of Heathcliff. No nonsense, just decisive.

And as if my thoughts summoned him, Heathcliff reappeared in the doorway, his long, taut silhouette making my mouth water, the jut of his cock calling for my hands and that aching empty place between my legs. On his face, though, his emotions were carefully masked, and I suspected he was feeling the same thing I was: worry that this was all going to disappear the moment we turned around, that we were imagining what the other person was feeling and the carpet would be pulled out from underneath our feet once more.

That this was fleeting. That the other person would wake up and realize they were making a mistake, and we'd go back to that endless limbo of misery once more.