Nick drags the ice down my stomach. Slowly, it melts, leaving a trail of cool water on my skin.
He reaches for something—another ice cube, from his glass. This time, he starts at my lips. There's the faint taste of whiskey and the overwhelming sensation of cold.
He drags the ice down my neck and to my breasts. It's an inch from my nipple.
I pant, uncertain if I can take it but determined to try. It gets closer. Closer.
He pulls away, towards my other breast. Again, he slides the ice closer and closer.
There.
The ice makes contact with my nipple.
"Fuck," I groan. It's like jumping into the ocean two months too early.
The shock fades to a dull ache. The pain commands me. I have to feel it. I have to surrender to it.
Nick draws circles over me with the ice. I pant and shake. It hurts enough to make me scream.
Fuck it. I do scream.
"Nick. I..."
"You want me to stop, say the word." He takes the almost all the way melted ice and presses it between my lips. "Do you want me to stop, baby?"
I swallow the ice cube. "No."
"You want more?"
"Yes."
His movements get aggressive. He starts at my lip and drags the ice down my neck and collarbones. Straight to my nipple. He presses hard. He presses soft.
I grit my teeth to push through, but it's not working. It hurts too much.
"Yellow," I breathe.
He pulls the ice cube away for a moment then it's back on my stomach.
I relax, settling into his movements as the cold slides over my body.
He leans closer, bringing the full weight of his body onto mine.
His lips connect with mine. They're cold, but the heat of mine warms them. I open my mouth to make way for his tongue and he passes the ice cube from his mouth to mine.
I pass it back.
When there's nothing left but us, Nick pulls away. He takes another ice cube and trails it down my neck, around my chest, closer and closer. It brushes against my nipples for a moment then it's gone.
His lips close over my nipple, warming the coldness. He does it again. Cold then warm then cold again. The back and forth ramps up the tension building inside me. I lose track of everything except the feeling in my body.
I press my wrists against the restraints, arching my body to press it against his. Nick moves lower. Down my stomach. Below my belly button.
No teasing, he presses his mouth against my clit. There's a dull sense of coldness. Like jumping into the freezing ocean, only way more intense. I part my legs to give him room. He sucks on my outer lips. It's a dizzying mix of chill and heat.
Then it's warm. No more ice. Only Nick.
He licks me up and down with soft, slow strokes. Patient. Like he has all the time in the world. His hands go to my thighs. He pries them apart, presses my knees against the bed and holds them there.
I can't move. I'm at his mercy. I groan as pleasure pools between my legs.
Any lingering cold fades away. I'm warm. I'm scorching.
He sucks on my clit until I'm groaning his name.
I arch my back. My hips shift an inch.
His nails sink into the delicate flesh of my thigh. He sucks harder. Faster.
It sends me straight to the edge. I tumble into free fall, pleasure spilling through my body as I come. I scream. I shake. I release everything.
Nick kisses his way back to my mouth. He straddles me, his thighs outside my hips, his cock straining against me. Only his jeans are in the way.
I rock my hips but he's too heavy. I can't even grind against him.
I can't see him undress, but I hear his clothes coming off. The soft thud of his shirt hitting the ground. The unzipping of his jeans. The elastic tug of his boxers.
I spread my knees as wide as they'll go. No more waiting. I need to feel him inside me.
He reaches for my wrists and undoes the bindings. I reach for him immediately.
My fingers skim his skin. There's muscle then the jut of bone. His hips.
With my other hand, I reach for the blindfold. "Can I?"
He reaches down and undoes my blindfold.
My eyes go straight to his erection. I gawk. I'm pretty sure I'm drooling.
"Come here." He lies on his back and reaches for my hands.
Oh hell yes. I crawl next to Nick. He's practically offering himself to me. I'm not about to miss this opportunity.
He arranges me, so my hands are at his hips, my knees are outside his. He doesn't use words. He brings his hands to the back of my head and guides me into place.
I wrap my lips around him, taking him as deep as I can. With my hands flat in front of me, I only have so much leverage. I let him guide me.
He tastes good.
He groans. His face fills with pleasure. I'm greedy to get him off, but he's in control.
His grip tightens in my hair. "On your back."
I do as I'm told.
Nick shifts off the bed. He finds the wedge he used the first time we were here. He sets it up with the tall side facing me then presses me onto it, stomach first.
I'm lying at a reverse incline, my head on the bed, my ass lifted enough that I'm on display to him.
His tip strains against me. He teases again and again. It sends a shudder down my spine.
Again.
Until I'm panting.
Until I'm screaming.
And.
"Please," I groan.
His hands go to my hips. They sink into my skin as he enters me.
I sigh with relief.
I can't do anything but feel Nick. I surrender to it, groaning as he thrusts into me. His movements start patient and get faster, harder, deeper.
It's intense, but it doesn't hurt. It only feels good.
An orgasm rises up inside me. This one is fast. It's almost there. I do nothing to extend it. Instead, I groan into it, squeezing him as tightly as I can, screaming his name as loudly as I can.
It only takes a few moments for me to unravel. My legs threaten to go slack. I won't allow myself to melt until I feel his release. I focus on the sounds of our bodies coming together, of sighs and groans escaping his lips. I focus on the feeling of him inside me, of his fingers digging into my skin.
All of it builds to a crescendo. Then he's there, going harder and faster, groaning and clawing at my hips as he comes.
When he's finished, Nick untangles our bodies. He pulls me into his lap and runs his hands through my hair.
A wave of affection rises up in my stomach. But I can't say it yet. It's too scary, too final.
Soon.
I'll say it soon.
I spend the weekend with Nick. He shows me his favorite police procedural. I teach him a dozen yoga poses. His balance is good, but he needs to work on his flexibility. I'm sure I can find a way to help him stretch.
He cooks. I make coffee. We have sex half a dozen times. By Sunday night, I'm so sore it's hard to move. I go home so I'll get enough rest to survive Monday.
/> It's amazing, the two of us together, like a normal couple. Like this could be our life.
My long ignored phone beeps a dozen new alerts. Mostly irrelevant emails, but there's a missed call and a text message from a number I don't recognize. It starts with an address, then—
Meet me Friday at 10 PM. I have an offer for you. One that can leave Nick with his company intact. It's your choice. If you do what I want, I won't sell.
If you mention this to Nick, I'll sell immediately.
- Shepard Marlowe
A chill sinks all the way to my bones. Breathing is difficult. Impossible even.
This is either an olive branch or a hand grenade.
I don't know much about Shepard, besides what Nick has told me. He held his ground against Nick. Yeah, he had Nick's guilt on his side, but that takes considerable strength. Especially for a younger brother.
He's the kind of guy who gets what he wants, whatever it takes.
I should delete this message. Nick cares about me. Meeting with Shepard behind his back could ruin things, convince him I'm not worth trusting.
But the sale is weighing on him. If I can help him...
I can't turn down the opportunity.
I save the address and clear my schedule for Friday night.
I have to help Nick save his company, whatever it takes. Even if it means trusting the enemy.
Even if it means I might lose Nick forever.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Monday morning, my Google Alert greets me with a news article that the sale is imminent. Odyssey Executives Finalizing Details on Sale of Virtual Assistant—Is This the Next Step in AI?
The article goes on to speculate about the possibilities of the Haley project. There's a quote from an executive at OmniTech that implies they're only buying the company to get their hands on the intellectual property.
Which means Nick will lose the project that means everything to him.
My yoga routine does nothing to clear my head. Neither does my warm shower. I brace myself for the worst on my way to work, but it's more painful than I imagined.
From a glance, everything is the same. Nick is standing at his desk, handsome and imposing in his sleek black suit. There are two cups of coffee, two sesame bagels.