He acknowledged that she was a complex woman. The hang up she had over her weight and body was just the tip of the iceberg. He couldn’t deny he was intrigued and curious to uncover every layer she guarded under a sassy demeanor.
He traced a finger over her curved eyebrows as he watched her pensively.
“What are you up to, Taylor Banks? Know this, little one. Come morning, before we leave here, you will tell me the truth … or I’ll leave your ass right here in DC.”
Chapter Five
Good lord! Does the man have no inhibitions?
Taylor wailed in her mind as she blinked the sleep from her eyes. Admittedly, to look upon an Adonis in his full naked glory the moment she woke up was a pleasant change to the norm.
The norm! Oh shit! I probably have cockatoo hair and sleep wrinkles all over my face.
Not to mention that she most definitely had black mascara smudges under her eyes, since the last thing she remembered was falling asleep after being punished for calling herself fat.
She kept her eyes half-lidded as she spied on Zeke getting dressed. Every movement was precise, economic, and breathtaking to watch. His body was well-defined and muscled without being bulky, which showed in the twining cords of muscle that shaped his entire body; strong arms, wide shoulders, bold thighs and calves, a firm chest and … oh man! … a ripped six pack. The men she’d dated in the past were no comparison to him.
For one thing, none of them had such a devastating effect on her libido. Just looking at him caused a pleasant tingling in her pussy, spurring it to a full-on throb by her clitoris that suddenly felt like it had a heart of its own, pulsing blood to the little nub in a demand for release. A release she’d secretly yearned for while he’d whipped her with his belt … with his hard cock pounding inside her.
She was all too aware of the empty thrum inside her. Proof that he hadn’t fucked her last night. That in itself unsettled her. He had all the opportunity in the world. She’d made it clear she was ready for it. Maybe not by word but most definitely with every pleading glance she’d slanted at him, the way her body had shamelessly offered itself to his punishing strikes. Her cheeks burned as she recalled that toward the end, she’d spread her legs even wider, and pushed her hips higher in a shameless offering.
One he blatantly ignored, Taylor. Don’t forget about that.
She frowned at the reminder from her inner thoughts. The little voice that was always there piped up in a gritty sneer in her mind.
Of course he did. What man would be aroused at the sight of jiggling thighs and a wobbly stomach?
Stop it! Or did you forget what he made you see last night?
Taylor bit her lip as she recalled her words in the end, when she’d looked at her body, marked with red stripes and finally saw it through his eyes.
“Your eyes adore every inch when you gaze at me. It tells me that every part of me is beautiful, sexy, and sensual. It makes me feel … like a goddess”
In that moment, it had been what she’d seen and felt. The memory of his eyes scorching over her now burned the same impression upon her mind. Zeke Rothman might be a gorgeous celebrity but she didn’t believe for one minute he’d been insincere about what she did to his testosterone. He hadn’t bothered to hide his lust from her. Indeed, his cock had rampantly pressed against his trunks.
“Why didn’t you fuck me last night?”
Taylor’s eyes widened as her voice echoed back at her. What the devil? I didn’t intend to … oh dear, he’s just too irresistible this early in the morning.
Her thoughts got completely sidelined as he turned to look at her while buttoning up the black shirt he’d just put on. It annoyed her that he made such a simple task look so damn manly and sexy that her ovaries perked up like squirrels peeking from their nests at the prospect of food.
Ugh … I need to get myself under control before I make a complete ass of myself.
His eyes roamed over her shoulders as she struggled to sit upright, dragging the sheet up to tug it under her arms. He might have given her confidence a boost last night but that didn’t mean she was comfortable being naked while he was fully dressed.
“Last night wasn’t the right time.”
Taylor blinked as he responded to her wayward question.
“Not the time? Hell, I was sexually so charged I was ready to combust. Don’t think for one moment I didn’t notice your hard cock begging for some action.”
She ignored the heat covering her cheeks as his one eyebrow crawled lazily toward his hairline.
Ohh, man that’s so sexy! Her ovaries squealed excitedly.
Behave, dammit! I’m trying to have an important conversation here!
Taylor was an attorney and outspoken as they came. She called a spade a spade and besides, she had never been one to shy away from her sexuality or the needs of her body.
“Very astute of you, little one.” He sat down on the bed and put on his black boots. He was dressed in all black and looked wickedly handsome. “But as a Dom, I have control over my sexual needs.” He turned sideways to look at her. “Besides, I have no intention of fucking you until you stop lying to me.”
Taylor’s eyes widened at the sudden shift in topic, not to mention the way his body seemed to grow larger and more threatening with every breath that wheezed through her lips.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. We only met yesterday and don’t know anything about each other.” The protest tasted bitter on her tongue, especially since she knew it was a lie. Not to mention that it felt wrong to be dishonest. Why, she had no idea and it completely unsettled her.
“Don’t you?”
Her eyelids fluttered as she hid her gaze from his all too intimidating stare. There was no way he could know she was lying!
She knew more about Zeke Rothman and his cousins than most. In fact, she was the one who had found out the location of their BDSM club, Castle Sin, and uncovered what their real identities were. All to assist Peyton almost a year ago when she acted on the bequeath of her Aunt Vera to get her cousin, Savannah Thorne off the island. She was afraid that Savannah was held there against her will. It had triggered a previous claim from a woman Peyton had investigated six years prior who used to work for the cousins as a permanent submissive at the club.
Taylor didn’t believe for one moment that Peyton would’ve told any of them who she was or the role she had played in uncovering their identities. She opted for the best cover she could think of at the moment. She pulled in a calming breath and lifted flashing eyes to his.
“Very well. I’m woman enough to admit that you helped me to see myself in a different light.” She shrugged. “Not that I’m uncomfortable in my own skin but I needed to see how you … what?” she puffed indignantly as he got up with a snort.
“That’s the lie you wanna go with?”
That damn eyebrow did the sexy arch upward that floored her mind every time. She frowned and shifted uncomfortably in the bed as she scrambled to get her thoughts together.
“Look, Zeke, we agreed on no strings attached when you made the offer to give me a lift to Key West. What happened last night in no way gives you any insight into who or what I am. Least of all to accuse me of lying to you.”
A heavy silence settled over them, thicker than the uneasy tension suddenly wrought in the atmosphere. His gaze darkened as it roamed over her face. He unsettled her to such an extent that she did her best to look away to avoid feeling like a traitor. Except he refused to let her. Swirls of flashing dark blue gave a charcoal glimmer to his eyes that held her prisoner.