I felt him, as if his fingers were dancing across my skin. The same vision of the man pulsed in the back of my mind. His eyes. His face. His smile.
His stunning physique.
“You were expecting someone else.” His voice was just as dark as it had been every night, far too seductive in tone. There was a hint of disappointment, as if I’d not only be expecting but want another call from him. The strange thing was that the fear I’d experienced the first night had faded away completely.
I pushed the cheese onto the stainless-steel table in the back, trying to control my breathing. The dark stranger had made me question far too much about myself. The grief. The guilt. The anger that remained. The loneliness. God, I’d never felt so lonely in my life. I had good friends, women that had held me up, who’d consumed far too much tequila when I’d fallen down my rabbit hole of despair. I had several amazing employees and parents who doted on me far too much.
But the moment the clock struck midnight at least three times a week, I’d fallen into a black hole. I longed for a warm touch, a brush of callused fingers dancing down my arm and the tickling sensations of having a man’s lips nip my earlobe while sliding his hand under the hem of my nightgown. I’d craved a man’s firm hold as he drove his cock deep inside, fucking me long and hard until we were both left exhausted, consumed by a state of bliss. He’d pulled out my most vulnerable thoughts, revealing a part of me I never wanted to see the light of day.
Why? Why had this complete stranger managed to drive me to the point of seeking out a one-night stand, just to feel alive again? Just once? I had no rational answers because I was obviously in an entirely different kind of erotic fog. I wouldn’t dare tell my besties what was going on. They’d think I’d completely lost my mind.
Yet the sound of his voice alone evoked the same dark and filthy desires that I’d tried desperately hard to shove aside.
“My best friend.” I blurted out the words for no other reason than nervousness.
“If only it was possible to join you tonight, my sweet, talented, and very beautiful Sierra. That would be the highlight of my day. I would so enjoy finally being able to touch your soft skin, to whisper words that provide you with an understanding of my desires.”
“Desires? You don’t…” Why bother? Saying he didn’t know me seemed irrelevant at this point. I had to fight this, to end whateverthiswas before I completely lost all capability of maintaining normalcy.
“Yes, deep and dark desires.”
The rumble of his voice sent a tremor straight to my core. I almost tripped on a box in my effort to steady myself against the wall. I took a deep breath, refusing to acknowledge his compliment. His voice was like warm chocolate, sinful, and my mind floated to several filthy thoughts.What are you doing?I had to end the charade somehow. “What do you ultimately want? A date? You’ve been calling me for weeks, acting as if you knew me.” I laughed nervously, realizing seconds later I’d shifted my hand to my breasts, aimlessly flicking my finger back and forth across my already hardened nipples.
“Want? I think you mean what is it that I need like the air in order to breathe. Unfortunately, the question is best answered when I have a better opportunity to provide a comprehensive flow of words. You deserve no less. You deserve everything. You are that special to me, Sierra.”
Special. Everything.
His words were meant to tempt me into doing something stupid.
Was this asshole kidding me? Tonight I allowed myself to become furious that some son of a bitch thought he could interrupt my life, acting as if we knew each other. “Who are you? If you honestly think we’re going to continue these… ridiculous conversations, then I deserve to know your name.” At least my tone had sounded as demanding as I’d wanted.
“As I told you from the first night. An admirer. I’m a man who enjoys engaging in acts of passion.”
“You mean domination. Sadism.”
His laugh was entirely different than I was used to, as if I’d unlocked one of his great mysteries. “You do understand, and do you want to know why our conversations intrigue you?”
Hell fucking no. That wasn’t the truth. I closed my eyes, trying to keep the rational side of me in the forefront of my brain. “Fine. Let’s play your disgusting game. Why?”
“Because we’re cut from the same cloth. We hunger for the same things that only the darkest proclivities can provide. I’ll teach you,mi dulce gatita. Once you’ve been trained, you’ll revel in the opportunities.”
Opportunities. He made the offer sound appealing, which was in itself insane.
There was no reason for my palms to be sweaty, but I found myself pressing one then the other against my skirt. At the same time, I was trying to control my ragged breathing, refusing to allow the stranger to know I was bothered in the least. I’d had ‘admirers’ in various periods of my life, a few who refused to take no for an answer. At least initially. If I had to guess, I’d say the jerk with a velvet tongue had latched onto my picture from one of the trade publications, likely jacking off as he talked to me.
Strangely enough though, he didn’t seem the type. There was an intelligence to his voice even though our conversation had steered toward emotional and physical desires. For some crazy reason, that intrigued me. Still, I had to get him off the phone permanently. If I had to change numbers, then that’s what I’d do. If not, I wasn’t entirely certain I could resist his advances.
What the hell is wrong with you?
“Look, I appreciate your kind words and the sensual as well as inappropriate conversations, but I’d prefer if you’d never call me again. My boyfriend might become jealous.” I tried to laugh, but the sound was dry, devoid of emotion. Angering him wasn’t in my best interest.
He remained quiet, the few seconds ticking by allowing a knot to form in my stomach.
“There’s no need to lie to me or to yourself, Sierra. However, I sense tonight isn’t the best time for you to talk.”
Now I bristled. This had to stop.
“Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear. There isn’t a better time. I don’t talk to strangers. Okay? Enjoy your night.” I hung up the phone before I allowed him to get any further under my skin.