Chapter Nineteen
Cris
Benji has given me plenty of gifts since I started working for him, but never jewelry. Now, he’s draped me in gold and diamonds moments before he plans to strip me out of my clothes and make love to me for the first time. The necklace, the roses, the bathtub, and the dessert… It’s all too much.
If I’m not careful, I’ll lose more than my virginity tonight. Time to shore up the walls of those “compartments” before my heart escapes and goes streaking through the nearest open field.
I forbid myself to fall in love with him.
Tonight is going to be special. Unforgettable. I can’t allow sex or this gift to ruin our strong friendship. A real and lasting, meaningful friendship. With my mind properly reconfigured, I drop the compass pendant against my neck and tug at Benji’s tie. Specifically, the knot.
He smells good. As I inhale, I recall Marla and her very wrong assumption that he would be spending time in her bed tonight. The memory of him claiming me makes me feel powerful, so I use it to my benefit.
“Tonight,” I tell him as I undo his tie, “the only thing I want pointing north is your”—I am a breath away from his lips when I whisper—“big, hard cock.”
He crushes my mouth to his, and I giggle against his firm lips. Not because the kiss is funny, but because I had an inkling my talking dirty would turn him on. I’m feeling my power twofold.
“God, I love it when you talk to me like that.” Breathless is too delicate a word for how he sounds, but I’ve definitely robbed him of some vital oxygen.
Wide, warm palms skim my arms before reaching for the zipper of my dress. My bare back is introduced to the cool air when he drops the dress to the floor. He stares at what he’s revealed—my lingerie. This, I brought from home. I bought it specifically for this trip. I nearly died of embarrassment buying it. I boldly walked into a shop with mostly nude mannequins and heart-shaped tables and shiny black floors and chose this particular set.
“Is this for me?” His voice is choked with lust.
“Just for you,” I tell him. “I didn’t own lingerie before we made our plans tonight.”
He cups my breasts over the see-through black lace and thumbs my nipples. They peak greedily, begging for more attention. He ducks his head and grants the wish, his tongue swirling over my sensitized flesh. He leaves the lace damp. Heat gathers into a warm pool at the apex of my thighs.
He takes my hands and helps me step out of the circle of my dress.
“Shoes too?” I ask.
He blows out a tortured breath. “I want you to keep them on, but I think for tonight you should leave them off. We’ll save the dirty stuff for later. Tonight’s about one thing and one thing only.”
I raise my eyebrows.
He dips his chin. “You.”
I try not to let that mean everything as I toe off my high-heeled shoes. Before I know what’s happening, I’m off my feet and cradled in his arms. He steps around to the side of the bed and places me on the white bedding. Somehow—and I honestly have no idea how—when he lets me go, my bra is in his hands and I’m topless.
“How did you do that?”
“Skills, honey.” He tosses the garment over his shoulder. Suited, suave Benji undressing me isn’t a moment I’ll soon forget. He peels my panties away, his eyes flaring as he takes in what he reveals. His voice is tight when he says, “These are very nice, but you won’t be needing them either.”
I make a “gimme” motion with my hands. “Lose the shirt, buddy. I’m not letting you stay clothed tonight.”
“You’re bossy. That’s not part of the plan.”
“I’m your life coach, Mr. Owen. I make the plans.”
“I’m going to let you have that one, but only because you’re naked and spread out on my hotel bed. Which, by the way, is a surefire way for you to get away with anything.”
“Anything?”
“Anything.” His eyes flare, and a happy zing dances in my stomach.
“Something to remember for the future.”
He slips the buttons through his shirt with nimble fingers and then it’s gone. In the flickering candlelight surrounding us, I admire the subtle shift of the muscles of his torso as he unbuckles his belt. I take inventory and catalog each detail, filing them into a secret place in my memory. My eyes zoom in on the carpe diem tattoo he designed himself. I’ve always loved the sturdy curl of his letter Cs.