Miranda Lee - It Started With A Proposition

‘Fine. Here…have a sip of champagne,’ he said, picking up one of the full glasses and holding it to her lips.

Jordan was about to blindly open her lips when a wave of rebellion struck. ‘I’d rather have my own glass, thank you.’

‘Okay. Take this one.’

He gave it to her, but didn’t get the other glass for himself. Instead, he picked up the sea sponge which was lying on the bath’s edge and rubbed it across her stomach.

When he moved it up to her breasts she gasped, spilling some champagne as she jerked away from Gino’s chest.

‘Relax,’ he said, and used the sponge to press her back into her leaning position. ‘You’ll like it. I promise. Just lie back, sip your champagne, and keep your arms out of my way.’

It seemed silly to tell him to stop. Because of course she did like it—especially when the sponge grazed over her rock-hard nipples. Her pleasure was a double-edged sword, however, as her sexual tension increased with each passing moment. Soon every muscle she owned was twisted into a tight knot. She tried sipping more of the champagne, but nothing relaxed her for long.

‘Tell me about that case you won,’ Gino said.

Jordan turned her head and flicked startled eyes up at him.

‘You…you can’t be serious,’ she choked out.

‘Why not?’ he returned.

‘Because I can’t think, let alone talk when you’re doing that.’

‘Yes, you can. Try it,’ he said, moving the sponge down over her stomach again, then lower…

‘Oh!’ she cried as her hips bucked upwards.

‘God, woman,’ Gino growled.

When she felt his flesh suddenly slide up into her Jordan froze, gripping the champagne glass for dear life.

‘Just relax now,’ he advised again, as he eased her back down into a sitting position. ‘Lie back and don’t move. I want to hear about that case you won first.’

‘How can I? I…I can’t think.’

‘You can, and you will.’

Jordan could not believe she was doing this. She was desperate to move, but he kept her still with his hands splayed across her stomach.

‘What compensation did you get her in the end?’ he asked, after she’d related the whole story to him.

‘Three million.’

‘A tidy sum.’

‘Sharni still wasn’t a happy woman. Because it wasn’t about money, really. It was about justice. Money doesn’t make people happy.’

‘But it can help.’

‘I suppose so.’ She so wished he would stop talking.

‘You wouldn’t marry a poor man.’

Jordan sighed. ‘I would have married you ten years ago, when I thought you were poor.’

‘That was when you were young and naïve. When you were a romantic.’

‘You think I’m not a romantic any more?’

‘How can you be when you’re going to marry Stedley? You don’t love him, and I know it.’

Jordan didn’t like the way this conversation was going. She could cope if they just stuck to sex.

‘Could we have a change of subject, please?’ she asked tautly. ‘I didn’t come here to talk about Chad. Whether I love him or not is immaterial. Chad loves me, and he wants to marry me—which is more than I can say for you. All you want is to have sex with me. And kinky sex at that.’

‘You call this kinky?’

‘Yes. And so was that episode against the window. You’ve always been kinky, Gino. Making me go without panties and…and doing it to me anywhere and everywhere.’

‘You loved it all.’

Oh, why had she brought those things up? Just thinking about them turned her on even more.

Impossible to stay still. Impossible to be patient any longer.

‘You’re moving,’ he chided, taking a firm grip of her hips and forcing her to be still.

‘I want to move. I’m going to move. There! See? I’m moving. And you can’t stop me.’

Stop her? He didn’t want to stop her. Not any longer. He’d wanted to make her wait, to torment her. But he was the one in agony.

His blood pounded in his temples as his body rushed past that point of no return. But she still trembled violently, with undeniable pleasure, crying out in ecstasy.

Damn her, he thought wildly as his own flesh followed. Damn her to hell!

JORDAN came back to consciousness in the four-poster bed, her last recollection being Gino carrying her back there, wrapped in a huge bathtowel. Nothing more. She must have fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The room wasn’t dark, Gino having left the bedside lamps on, but he wasn’t in the bed. She was alone under the satin sheets. The lights were still on in the sitting room, and she thought she heard a noise coming from there.

‘Gino?’ she called out as she levered herself up onto one elbow. ‘Gino, where are you?’

He materialised in the connecting doorway, a red towel slung low round his hips, the five o’clock shadow on his face giving him a slightly menacing air.

Feeling suddenly vulnerable, Jordan clutched the sheet up over her bare breasts, her actions making his eyes narrow.

‘How…how long have I been asleep?’ she asked.

‘Not long.’

He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, then reached up to undo the knot on top of her head. Her hair tumbled down over her shoulders. Gino brushed it back with his hands.

‘I’ve been waiting patiently for you to wake up,’ he murmured, then bent forward to kiss her on her lips. Lightly at first, and then more hungrily.

As usual, his kisses sent her heartbeat racing and any qualms flying. When he pushed her back onto the pillows and threw the sheet right back off the bottom of the bed she made no attempt to stop him.

But when he reached for the bottle of lotion near the lamp her whole body stiffened.

‘What’s that for?’ she demanded to know.

‘Nothing to be alarmed about,’ he returned smoothly. ‘It says here on the label that this is a love lotion, designed to enhance every sexual activity. It claims aphrodisiacal qualities, an exotic scent and a delicious taste. And, no, before you ask. I didn’t buy it. It was here when I arrived, compliments of the management.’

Jordan swallowed when he started unscrewing the lid.

‘Don’t look so worried.’

‘I…I’m not sure I want you to use that stuff on me, Gino.’

He frowned at her. ‘Why not?’

‘I don’t know.’ But Jordan did know. She was afraid that she might enjoy it too much. That it would make her even more mindless than usual. That she might let him do things she would later regret.

The sudden fear and vulnerability in her eyes touched Gino’s conscience. At the same time he refused to back off entirely. This was what she’d come here for, wasn’t it?

‘Why don’t you use it on me, then?’

His suggestion sent her eyes rounding. But not with fear this time. With surprise.

He recalled that he’d always been the boss in the bedroom.

Clearly the idea intrigued her. In actuality, the idea intrigued him, too. He’d never been the passive partner in lovemaking before. Not ever. Who knew? Maybe he’d enjoy it.

‘Here—take it,’ he said, shoving the bottle into her hands before whisking the towel from his hips.

A downward glance had his eyebrows lifting. He hadn’t realised till that moment that he was well on the way to being aroused again.

‘I am yours to do with as you will,’ he said, and he lay down beside her, his arms bending upwards so that his hands rested behind his head.

Oh, yes, he thought as he felt his flesh swell even further. He was going to enjoy this. Very much so.

Jordan sat up and stared down at Gino’s aroused body, not quite sure where she was supposed to start.

In the past she’d reacted only at his command, and never for her own pleasure. The thought of having his entire body at her disposal, however, was sparking an alien feeling of power which was more exciting than she could ever have imagined.