“Okay, this is … really fast.” If not for the belt strapping her in, she looks like she’s ready to crawl out of her skin.
“You’re nervous.” The needle edges past one-thirty. One thirty-five.
“We … we’re … almost going a-hundred-fifty miles-an-hour.”
I slide her hand onto my lap over the rock-hard erection that’s been pressing against my zipper for the last hour. The pressure through the fabric is enough to send a zap of ecstasy shooting up my spine, and on reflex, I hit the gas harder.
She slices her gaze toward me, eyes wide on my groin, where her hand grips my shaft. “Jesus. You’re like stone right now.”
Adrenaline courses through me, the speed and her delicate hands drawing me closer to the edge. But that’s not the only reason.
Being with her today, seeing her in this element, how she’s learned to survive with all the shit life has thrown at her, has only made her more irresistible to me. I want to steal her away from these vultures who’d pick at her bones until there’s nothing left of her. The same ones who’ve picked at me. Ones who’ve ravaged and discarded her. I want to shield her from their petty scorn and judgment.
I’ve been careful to avoid repeating my mistakes, but Isa is the kind of girl to make me pile them up like a fucking stack of pancakes with syrup on top. She makes me reckless and possessive.
With a squeeze of her hand, the car accelerates. Faster and faster. I tighten my fist around hers, grinding my teeth to keep from combusting, but it’s not enough. I need more.
I press the brake and jerk the wheel toward the shoulder of the road, squealing to a stop that sends her hands flying out to keep from bashing into the dashboard.
“What are you doing?”
“C’mon.” I flick my fingers for her to climb onto my lap. That dress has been messing with my head all night, and I can’t take it anymore. I want her. One taste.
There isn’t much room in the car, but she slides over the console and wedges one knee beside me, the other propped up on the driver’s door panel. Grabbing either side of her face, I pull her in for a kiss, rougher than I intend.
Doesn’t matter how many times we do this, her lips always taste like candy. A sticky, strawberry lollipop that I could lick for hours and never tire of the flavor.
My phone buzzes against the console beside me, but I ignore it, instead focusing on the softness of her skin as I eat the soft moans that leak from her lips.
The phone buzzes again.
Isa breaks from the kiss and looks down at it. “It’s Rand.”
“Fuck Rand,” I say, pulling her to my face again.
“What if it’s your mother?” she asks against my mouth, and at the mere mention of the woman, everything inside of me deflates. With a groan, I swipe up the phone. “Yeah.” The irritation in my voice is both unmistakable and intentional.
“Forgive me, Master, but I just received a call from Dr. Voigt. He’s been trying to reach you in your office.”
“I’m not in my office.” As Isa slides back toward the console, I squeeze her thigh to keep her from moving off my lap.
“I realize that, Sir. Um, I didn’t know you’d planned to be out this afternoon.”
The aggravation is killing my libido by the second. “What is the nature of his call?”
“He asked that you make a trip up to the Institute this week. He apparently has some important matters to discuss with you.”
Important matters. I can’t think of a single thing he’d need to discuss that would warrant a trip to Vermont.
“Can you give me any hints?”
“I’m afraid he didn’t divulge any to me.”
Throwing my head back against the seat, I pinch the bridge of my nose to settle the urge to throttle something, as Isa climbs back over to her seat.
Like I have time for this shit.
Not going to Vermont means that Friedrich starts nosing around in my affairs again, though.
“Fine. I’ll fly out first thing tomorrow. Get it over with early in the week.”
“Very good. I’ll let him know. Again, my apologies for interrupting you, Sir. He seemed quite adamant that you make this trip.”
“I’m sure. Thanks.” I click out of the call and toss the phone onto the console, my mood officially soured. “Should’ve ignored it.”
“I’m sorry. I just thought--”
“It’s not your fault.” I lean to the side and seize her lips for another kiss, wanting nothing more than to pick up where we left off, but the frustration of having to play along with Friedrich to keep those bastards out of my hair is the equivalent of grinding my dick against a cheese grater.
Just not in the mood, all of a sudden.
Leaning back into my seat, I start up the engine and throw the car in drive.
The sooner I get home, the sooner I can take an ice cold shower.
Chapter 49
Isadora
Mondays have always been the dreaded first day of the week, but today is significantly less dreadful, in spite of the noises that kept me up again last night. At first, I thought it was Lucian, sneaking into my room, but when I flicked on the light, there was nothing there.
There’s something inside these walls, though. I can’t say what it is, as I’m always half asleep when I wake from it, but I feel it watching me.
I’ve never believed in ghosts, or the many myths that plague this island, but I’m beginning to wonder if I should.
I take the elevator up to Laura’s room, spinning the gorgeous bracelet over my wrist. No one has ever given me something so beautiful in my life, and I want to tuck it away so it doesn’t get lost, or broken, but I made a promise to Lucian that I wouldn’t take it off.
If Laura asks, I’ll just have to work up an excuse, like I found it in a McDonald's bathroom, and when I tried to return it, the owner told me to keep it. I chuckle to myself at the ridiculous story that, even in her mental state, she wouldn’t buy.
After Lucian and I returned from running errands yesterday, he decided he needed to get some work accomplished, and I haven’t seen him since.
He claims this is nothing but sex between us, and I’m okay with that, since he made it clear from the start. Except, all weekend long, he referred to me as his.
You belong to me. You’re mine. Mine.
I’ve been with guys only looking for sex, and not a single one told me I belonged to them after. In fact, they were quite content to keep their distance, and so was I, if I’m being honest. It’s not that I set out to fulfill my mother’s destiny for me through meaningless sex, it’s just that boys tend to be nicer when they think they’re getting laid.
I guess I just liked believing in their bullshit sometimes.
Lucian is an enigma to me, though. A big black question mark at the end of a long sentence. Could’ve been a heat of the moment thing with him. Guys sometimes say weird things during sex, but then I’m still left wondering why he bothered to run errands with me. Why spend the day with someone you’ve no intentions of pursuing?
A part of me wants to ask Giulia if he’s ever claimed she belonged to him when they fucked. Maybe that’s his kink: collecting girls like his mother collects dolls.