Sophia’s mouth yielded to mine when I took it, and there was that strange pull deep in my chest that had plagued me from the beginning. Why did I find kissing her so . . . satisfying? It felt like if this was all we had, the only way for us to connect, I could be content with it.
My body, however, protested angrily. The quick rendezvous in the costume room had been murder on my back and only a temporary fix. An emergency adjustment to relieve the pressure that had risen above the levels of safety and control. Now that it had been taken care of, I would have her the way I originally intended tonight, before I’d seen Richard Shaunessy’s arm around her waist and I’d nearly snapped.
The fury of it sliced through my mind, and I wasn’t sure if I was more upset with him or myself. I’d been careless and hadn’t defined the rules with her. I hadn’t made it clear I expected Sophia to be as invested in me as I was her, and I’d gotten a glimpse of what it would look like if I didn’t make my claim.
She’d find a younger man to take my job, and I’d already suffered that once in the professional world. I would not allow it to happen again, and certainly not in the bedroom.
As I kept my mouth latched on to hers, my tongue deep in her mouth, I pulled off my tuxedo jacket and dropped it to the floor. When she realized what I was doing, her hands went to the tie at my neck, tugging to undo the knot, and the silk spilled free.
We worked as a team. While she undid the buttons of my shirt, I unlatched my cuff links. I peeled off my braces and undid the button of my trousers, followed by the zipper. My movements were fueled with the urgency to be as naked as she was, to press my body against her warm skin and experience that completely.
Confidence came to me easily, but not tonight, which was odd. I’d already had her, knew exactly what it felt like to slide inside the wet heat of her body, and I was sure she wanted that again. But I could not ignore the anxious feeling drifting through me, and the idea that although it had been a long time since I’d had a woman in my bed, that wasn’t the cause for this nervous sensation.
It was Sophia.
It was important to me I delivered on my promise to her.
When my clothes were a heap on the floor, I urged her toward the bed but was distracted when she closed a strong fist around me and stroked my cock from tip to base, sending fire and satisfaction radiating outward and a shudder wracking my body. It required me to inhale a deep breath through tight teeth. It felt good—
Much too good.
I grabbed her wrists and pulled them away, using my hold on her to force her down onto her back on my bed, so quickly that she bounced as she hit the mattress and her hair fanned out around her. She was angled across the corner, and I followed her down, pinning her hands to the sheets, and put one knee up on the bed while keeping my other foot flat on the floor.
Her shapely legs were parted around my waist, and the weight of my erection dropped heavily onto her belly. I canted my hips back just enough to slide my cock over the diamond I’d given her that signified my ownership, and a possessive growl threatened in my chest.
This girl was mine.
Was she aware her gift of submission had far more value to me than the material one I’d given her?
I released her hands, wanting her to use them. “Spread the lips of your cunt.”
Her expression filled with disdain. “Whoa. Language.”
I paused and let the evil grin spread across my face. “Have I offended you, little girl?”
Challenge flashed in her eyes, bright as the sun. “No, Daddy.”
The power that word held was obscene. It made me hot in ways that were wrong . . . but felt right. I wrapped a hand around her throat, using my thumb to turn her head to the side so I could lean in and speak directly into her ear. “Reach down and spread the lips of your pussy. Show me what I own.”
Her eyes fluttered closed, and the quiver from her was pure lust.
I straightened and, rather than be a brat, she did as instructed. Her red polished nails gleamed as she stretched her pink skin wide, showing off the glittering diamond, and my gaze slid over it appreciatively. This woman wasn’t shy, and it was incredibly attractive. As she held herself open for me, I gripped myself and traced the jewelry with the sensitive tip of my cock, soaking in her wetness.