But if she did that, he might walk away and leave her to her fate. She needed the fresh start. She wanted the chance for her and Maddie. The money this deal would secure a good life for her kid. That’s all she wanted.
But she’d not been able to rid herself of the memory of his kiss. Nor that she found him deeply sexy.
She explored the first floor, avoiding his office, and then headed downstairs into the basement. There was a movie theater with reclining leather seats and an old-fashioned popcorn maker. There was a spare bedroom. A family room with a bar, pool table, and plenty of free-standing old-school video games, in addition to the flatscreen on the wall. There was an additional storage area with a stand-up deep freezer and an extra refrigerator. She spied a workout room with all the latest equipment and free weights.
But then she came to a door in the storage area. Hmm, a secret door inside a storage room. She felt like an explorer and laughed, realizing she was happy. It was such a foreign emotion. It was amazing what a few meals and a solid night of sleep could do for a body.
Where did it lead?
And behind door number one—she pushed the door open. Curiosity driving her, she headed inside. Motion sensor lights kicked on at her entrance. But they were low-lit, adding a sultry, golden ambiance to the room.
She halted. Her gaze glanced over the room that was easily twenty feet by fifteen feet. The walls were more of the interior decorative stone used throughout the home. But with the lightning and everything inside the room, the stone gave it a darker feel.
Her stomach churned at what she found.
On a section of the wall, there were hooks displaying various whips. It was full of furniture, but she didn’t recognize any of the pieces or what they were used for. She drifted a hand over the leather padding on a bench. And then it finally clicked.
This was a sex dungeon.
Her new benefactor and soon-to-be husband had a kinky side. Everyone needed a hobby, she guessed. And the thought of it, of having him tie her up, didn’t turn her off. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Arousal slammed into her at the thought of being strapped to the bench while Jasper caressed her and pounded his length inside her until she screamed in ecstasy. She saw it play out in her mind, the total loss of self as she surrendered to his mastery. She’d bet he knew his way around a woman’s body.
She blew out her breath. What was wrong with her? She was getting aroused by furniture. Kinky furniture, but it was still just furniture.
Perhaps it had just been a really long time since she had gotten any nooky. That explained why she was imagining Jasper tying her up before screwing her brains out. And she’d bet with his body and potent alpha-ness that he liked to fuck.
Quivers raced through her belly.
“See something you like?” his husky voice murmured in her ear.
She gasped at being caught exploring. Freya spun to face him, an apology on her tongue. But it died on her lips. Because he stared like she was Little Red Riding Hood and he was the Big Bad Wolf ready to eat her.
And god help her, but there was a part of her that wanted him to eat her.
The air in the room shifted, turned darker, needier, sinful even. It became erotically charged. The man was like a magnet, drawing her near. And the filter on her mouth became nonexistent. “And if I do?”
His eyes darkened into wicked cobalt pools as he stared. Jasper shifted, stepping closer until their chests grazed each other. She wet her bottom lip. Her entire body was attuned to him. He lowered his face, staring at her lips like a hungry predator about to feast upon her flesh.
Freya didn’t know what possessed her. Maybe it was that he took care of her kid in ways no man ever had, and it softened her toward him. Maybe it was the moment and need, and that ever since yesterday, she wondered if kissing him again would have the same out-of-body result.
She leaned up on her toes and planted her mouth over his. He jolted at the contact, frozen in place.
But his rough male groan alleviated any doubts. He palmed her face between his hands, directing the kiss. It began rather tame. But in seconds, Jasper tilted her head back and plundered her mouth.
She dug her nails into his chest as the world around her dissolved until Jasper comprised her universe. There were no thoughts of potentially going to prison for false statements. There was no second-guessing her decision to marry a man she barely knew. There was nothing but pleasure-infused bursts of sensation radiating from their joined mouths to the rest of her body.
Jasper kissed her like she was the most desirable woman on the planet. Like he had been waiting for her his entire life and planned to swallow her whole.
It was the most erotically charged kiss of her entire existence. Passion exploded between them. Liquid fire poured into her veins. Her body pulsed as desire enveloped her being. How had she lived without passion like this?
Freya craved him. She knew sleeping with him wouldn’t be smart. It would erase the walls she needed to keep erected between them.
But god, she wanted him. She yearned to toss caution to the wind and give herself this experience.
Except, what if she slept with him and he dumped her before they were legally man and wife? What if this was all some sick, twisted game? What if it made it awkward and the two of them miserable for the next year?
As much as she hated herself for ending the kiss, she ripped her mouth away and retreated a few steps, needing the space to collect herself. She panted, as she stared at him.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Then stay out of this room. The next time I find you here, I’ll assume you want me to tie you to the bench and fuck you until you can’t walk.”
His words doused her body with incendiary heat. “Sorry, I was curious and exploring.”
“I don’t mind your curiosity. But stop lying to yourself. Because this room intrigues you as much as I do. I know you want me. Your mouth might tell me no, but your body is telling me a different story. And you need to understand that I’m a Dominant. That means with sex, I demand full authority and dominion over your body. If I find you in here again, I will strap you to the bench, paddle your ass, and then fuck you until you scream my name as you come on my cock.”
The scenario he painted had her ovaries salivating and ready to roll out the welcome mat. The little bastards were going to get her into trouble. “Oh, I-I-I—”
“Mama.” Maddie’s weepy voice sounded through the baby monitor clipped to her waistband. Her daughter cried in earnest, which meant she likely had a wet or poopy diaper.
“I need to…go.” Freya spun on her heel before he could stop her. His eyes bored holes in her back as she exited the room, feeling as if the hounds of hell nipped at her heels.
That was close. She’d been seconds from saying to hell with it and launching herself at him.
She had to think about Maddie. She was what mattered in this equation. She was the reason she made this deal. She wouldn’t mess it up because she was horny. No, Maddie needed her to be smart and put her happiness first.
Freya didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until she was back in the bedroom, lifting her daughter from the playpen.
“Mama,” Maddie whimpered as she cuddled her against her chest.
“I know, baby, waking up is no fun sometimes.” She held her and swayed with her until her cries subsided. All the while thinking if her daughter hadn’t interrupted them, she’d be tied to the bench right now. Because everything he’d said about tying her up had resonated deep in her core.