A drop-dead sexy hunk of man that made me scream like a woman possessed? Check, check, and check!
I had nothing to complain about, so I didn’t.
Sure, I had questions.
I didn’t know exactly how in the hell I was going to be able to pull this job off exactly, but I had determination and I figured as long as I added a little perseverance and open-mindedness to the mix, I had a good shot.
And I had questions for Bear. Personal questions that were only now starting to take shape in my mind.
Most of all, I wanted to know why. I wanted to figure out what made him tick, what made him move and talk and lead his life the way he did. I wanted to crawl behind his mask and unveil his secrets. I wanted to know things about him that nobody else knew.
I’d been thinking about Zoe’s warning in the bathroom at the restaurant, contemplating whether I should mention our meeting to Bear or not, but so far I’d kept my mouth shut. Telling him seemed so petty. Nothing she’d said made any difference.
Sure, Bear could be a little rough, a little domineering, but so far, he seemed harmless really. He’d certainly not hurt me and he’d had the chance last night.
After he insisted on saying goodbye at my front door, I’d gone straight to bed, peeling my clothes off as I stumbled to my bedroom, cursing myself the whole way for drinking too much wine. I’d spent the entire day working myself up, anticipating fucking Bear again and I’d blown my chance.
I had no idea how long this little game we were playing was going to last. He could end it at anytime. Sure, he’d told me I could, too. He’d insisted on that safe word.
Peaches, of all things! I knew I’d never look at a peach the same way again.
But anyway, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t just change his mind at any point.
Maybe he didn’t have the patience for inexperienced two-drink Chloe going way past her limit. I was pissed at myself because I knew better. And I’d ruined our entire night, even if he’d been a complete and utter gentleman about it. When he’d made me touch his cock to see how hard it was, it only reminded me of what I was missing out on—as if I could forget that beautiful monstrosity between his legs.
So, I’d fallen naked into bed and tried my best to ease my frustrations. Nothing I did worked though, no matter what. I finally feel into a deep, dreamless sleep that only made me more frustrated by the time I awoke.
I was determined not to let any of those events repeat themselves tonight.
It’d been a good day and by the time I returned to my apartment, I was beat. I drew a bath in the huge soaking tub and made a cup of hot tea to relax, determined to leave the wine bottle corked. I was also hoping for a second wind, because I had no idea what to expect tonight. Bear hadn’t given me a lot of details, so I had no idea where we were going. He’d said we wouldn’t be home till tomorrow, so I packed an overnight bag and laid out a pair of casual black slacks and a red silk blouse on the bed to wear.
I had an hour before he was due to show up and once again, my nerves were raw. He’d been so different each time I’d seen him, and I never knew who was going to show up — the sweet, kind gentleman or the demanding, raunchy sex machine. I was really beginning to like them both but after going to bed so unsatisfied last night, honestly, I was hoping for the latter.
When he finally showed up an hour later, I opened the door with a smile. He was dressed casually tonight in dark jeans and a black sweater. It was the first time I’d seen him in a pair of jeans and the outline of his cock bulging against the denim sent chills up my spine.
“Hello, Beauty,” he said, kissing my cheek before walking in.
“Hi, Bear,” I replied. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“No, I’m fine,” he said, grabbing my hand and pulling it up to press his lips against the back of it. “I’m happy to see you. You look beautiful, as always.”
“Thank you,” I replied, feeling the dreaded blush rush to my cheeks. “I’ll just grab my bag then.”
“I should have mentioned that we’re going somewhere very cold and very rugged. You might want to repack. You won’t need much. Just jeans and sweaters and a warm coat if you have it. We’ll be staying in most of the time.”
“We’re going somewhere colder than here?” I exclaimed. “What’s colder than here? The North Pole?”
“Well, it is Christmas time, isn’t it? We could give Santa a visit.”
“I’ve always been afraid of Santa,” I laughed.
“Really?” he laughed. “Don’t worry. We’re going North, but not that far. I have a cabin up in the Catskills. Trust me, there will be plenty of warmth. You can park yourself by the fireplace the entire time, if you want. I’ll do all the stoking,” he winked.
“Sounds heavenly,” I replied with a smile, feeling giddy that I was finally going to be alone with him for a while. “Then repacking is definitely in order. I’ll be right back.” I grabbed my bag and headed back to my bedroom.
Ten minutes later and I was a much happier camper. I’d traded my silk slacks for my favorite pair of Levi’s and pulled the Pendleton sweater Marie had gotten me for my birthday last year over my hand. I stuffed my jeans with my favorite pair of worn-out Frey boots and filled my bag with a few more pairs of jeans and some warm socks. I left one pair of black stilettos in my bag and threw in a tiny black dress, just in case we went out somewhere nice.
When I walked back out to Bear, he greeted me with a smile.
“You look much more comfortable,” he said.
“I feel much better! Shall we?” I asked.
“Let’s go,” he said, grabbing my bag from me and opening the front door. A few minutes later and we were in the back of his limo and pulling away from the curb.
“How long is the drive?” I asked.
“We’re not driving,” he said. “Just wait. You’ll see.”
“Mr. Mysterious, huh?”
“If that’s what you want to call me,” he shrugged.
“I can think of a bunch of things to call you,” I teased.
He reached over, interlacing his fingers with mine and leaning in close. He kissed me gently and peered into my eyes.
“You can call me anything you want, Beauty,” he said, brushing his lips against mine.
“I’m excited to spend some quality time with you,” I said.
His laughter caught me off guard.
“Are you? You have no idea what you’re in for,” he said.
“Oh? Should I be worried?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Not really,” he said. “But I did tell you I would take my frustrations out on you later, didn’t I?”
“I seem to recall something like that, yes,” I replied. Something was changing between us. There was a comfortableness now, a familiarity that wasn’t there before. Maybe I was just finally relaxing a little bit, maybe it was because I could finally breathe around him, but for some reason I was now able to look him directly in the eye without the urge to pull away. I was able to flirt with him, talk back to him without stumbling over my words.
“Don’t worry, Chloe,” he said, his eyes gentle and soft. “I’d never hurt you.”
“I never thought you would,” I whispered.
“Good,” he replied, squeezing my hand. “Oh, look!” he said, pointing out the window. “We’re here.”
I looked up and squinted my eyes.
“We’re at the office,” I said.
“There’s a lot more to this building than just offices,” he said, with a wink. “Let’s go in.”
He grabbed my bag and helped me out of the limo. He greeted the doorman and the guy at the security desk, slipping them both hundred dollar bills before leading me to the elevator.
“I know I have a lot of work to do but I had no idea you were such a slave driver,” I joked.
“We’re not going to work!” he teased. He pressed the button for the roof and I looked at him curiously.
“You’ll see,” he said. I nodded, wait
ing patiently, drinking in the warmth that was rolling off of him. I sniffed the air, inhaling the musky scent of his cologne. I wanted to etch the scent into my memory. When the doors opened, he led me down a small hallway and another man opened a door at the end of it, greeting Bear as if they’d known each other forever. Bear slipped him a bill, too.
As soon as the door opened, a blast of air hit us forcefully. The loud flapping of propellors was deafening. When I saw the huge, shiny black helicopter waiting on the helipad like an enormous spider, I shook my head.
“A helicopter?” I screamed at Bear over the noise.
“It’s faster than a car,” he yelled with a shrug, grabbing my hand. “Duck your head!”
We ran towards the helicopter and all I could think about was getting decapitated. I crouched down, probably much more than was required, but I figured I’d rather look like a wobbling duck than a headless woman. Bear jumped in first, then he pulled me up after him. The driver was wearing headphones and waved at us.
“Hey, Alex!” Bear greeted him. Alex was hidden behind enormous headphones and a microphone that went around in front of his mouth. He threw me a wave as if we’d known each other and he wasn’t some stranger that was taking my life into his hands, all of a sudden. I looked around. Should I be signing a waiver or something to get on this thing?
“Good evening, you two! It’s a great evening for a ride! Crystal clear out there tonight!”