He grabbed a pair of boxers from his drawer and looked at me, the corner of his mouth raising in a smile. “That’s an interesting contradiction. You don’t care about me, but you want me to live as long as possible. Interesting.”
“I’m just saying that as a friend.”
“So we’re friends?” He pulled on his boxers and walked around the bed until we were face to face. That arrogant smile was still on his lips. Sometimes, when it was just the two of us, he showed me a side of him that he didn’t let anyone else see. He was playful, even funny.
“No. I just…” I didn’t know how to dig myself out of the conversational hole I’d just gotten into.
“We aren’t friends.” He came closer to me, the drops on his skin glistening. “Friends don’t fuck the way we do.” He leaned toward me and kissed the corner of my mouth, his body wash sweeping over me.
I forgot what I was saying and melted at the touch, feeling his lips with my own. He chased away everything when we embraced. I didn’t think about my brother, my imprisonment, or anything else.
He pulled away, our lips sticking together just before they broke apart. “Ariel told me she had a great time today.”
I rolled my eyes. “Liar.”
He chuckled then walked to the table where he kept his scotch. The maid brought a fresh bucket of ice every night so he could drink his booze the way he liked. He poured himself a glass then took a long drink before he returned the glass to the table. “She’s still not your biggest fan.”
“What a coincidence,” I said sarcastically. “I don’t care for her either.”
He poured another glass.
“You drink too much.” One a day is fine, but he must have had twelve glasses a day. Ironically, I’d never seen him drunk. Unless he was drunk all the time, and I’d never known him sober.
He ignored my observation and took another drink. “She said you’re nosy.”
“Nosy?”
“Asking about my past and my women.”
I didn’t like the way he referred to them possessively. It made my spine tense in annoyance. “She brought up your past first. So that doesn’t count.”
“Then why are you asking about the other one?” He drank from his glass again before he finally set it down.
“How can you drink like that?”
“Why do you care?” He licked his lips just to get another taste.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drink water.”
“You’ve seen me drink coffee.”
“Is that water?” I couldn’t keep my attitude back. It always leaked out when I spoke to him.
He smiled, amused. “You don’t like it when I smoke. You don’t like it when I drink—”
“I don’t care if you drink. You just drink too much.”
“Whatever,” he said. “And you don’t like it when I sleep with other women. Hmm…that’s very interesting.” He stood in front of me, staring me down with those warm brown eyes. “Sounds like you’re pretty fond of me.”
“I’m not fond of you. If I could leave right now, I would.”
“Really?” he challenged. “I’m not sure if I believe that anymore.”
“Then destroy that detonator, and I’ll prove it.”
He stared me down without saying a word.
“The only reason why I want to know about other women you’re bedding is because I don’t want to catch something disgusting. I was clean before I met you, and I intend to stay that way.” My request wasn’t unfair. I had the right to know about my own health.
“I’m clean, Lovely.”
“But if you’re sleeping around—”
“Like I said before, that’s none of your concern.”
I wanted to scream. “Fine. Then let’s use condoms.”
He laughed like the request was absurd. “No.”
“Does that mean you are sleeping around?” I narrowed my eyes. “All I’m looking for is an answer, not an explanation. I don’t care if you are screwing other women. Just use a condom with them, at least.”
“Bullshit,” he said. “You do care. I can tell just by looking at you.”
I swallowed my anger. “I don’t. But even if I did, what does it matter? It shouldn’t change your answer.”
“And it doesn’t. I don’t talk about my life with anyone. You aren’t special.”
For some reason, that response actually did hurt. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly why. He slept with me every night, he fucked me every day, and he was the only person on this side of the world I felt somewhat safe with. When I was with him, nothing worse could happen to me.
I turned around so I wouldn’t have to look at him anymore. It gave me a chance to collect my emotions so they wouldn’t appear on my face. “Since you have this obvious leverage over me, why can’t I go outside on my own? If I run away, you’ll kill Joseph. Obviously, I won’t let that happen, so I’m not going to go anywhere. Whether I’m being supervised or not, I’m still your prisoner.” I turned back around, my arms across my chest. I gave him a stoic expression, hiding the hurt I felt deep inside.
He walked to the bed and pulled down the covers then set his alarm on his phone. “You have a good point.”
“Is that a yes?”
He sat with his back against the headboard, his cock hardening as it rested against his stomach. “I’ll think about it.”
That was the most I was going to get out of him.
“Come here.” His voice turned authoritative, his desire obvious in the heat of his gaze. His cock hardened further, becoming nine inches of steel. “Clothes off. Now.”
Seeing his naked body made my own grow wet. I dropped my shirt and bottoms then straddled his hips. I hadn’t been on top since the night I tried to seduce him. His enormous cock lay underneath me, warm and thick.
His hands went to my hips, and he moved his face between my tits. He sucked each of my nipples into his mouth, biting them slightly before his tongue moved over them in apology. He moved to my neck and kissed me everywhere, his cock throbbing anxiously to be inside me. “I thought you would be anxious for my cock the second I walked through the door.” His hands glided all over my body, touching me everywhere. His lips caressed my soft skin then brushed against my ear.
The moment I was alone, I touched myself and found my release. I knew I wouldn’t be able to last all day waiting for him. My hands dug into his hair as I grinded against him, forgetting about the hurt and the anger I felt toward him. When our bodies collided like this, I didn’t think about anything.
He pulled away and looked at me. “Lovely.” His hands gripped my ass and pulled my cheeks apart. “Did you touch yourself while I was gone?”
The direct question was awkward. No one had ever asked me that before.
“And if you did, did you think about me?”
That question was worse because the answer was humiliating.
“Answer honestly,” he threatened. “I’ll know if you’re lying to me.” He looked into my eyes and watched my expression. Like I was a specimen under the microscope, he watched me intently. His voice came out with more authority. “Answer me.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, I touched myself.”
“And?” His warm breath fell on my face.