Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 58442 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58442 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
He answers quickly, making me think of him waiting near his phone, smoldering at it, wanting me to call.
“Aurora,” he says, voice husky. Just the sound of his voice causes tingles to shiver over me.
“That guy from Goliath is here, and he won’t leave.”
“Then ask me,” he says.
I lick my lips. “Please….”
“Say it,” he growls.
“Sir.”
He hangs up without another word. I step back into the shop. Simon is humming a tune and tapping his hand against his leg, seemingly completely at ease. For five minutes, neither of us says anything. I can’t focus on my work. It takes all my concentration not to slap him.
When Raiden walks through the door, Simon leaps to his feet, his face going pale.
“You’re not the police,” he squeaks.
Raiden laughs savagely, almost like he wants a fight. He walks up to Simon and glares down at him, making the Goliath man look small. “How about I count to three?”
“Or what? You’ll assault me?”
“Now there’s an idea. One… two…”
Simon scurries out of the shop so fast he almost trips on his way out. Raiden stands at the window, hands clenched into fists at his sides, watching him go. He’s wearing a tight-fitting shirt, suit pants, nothing else despite the cold, letting me see the outline of his muscles through the fabric.
“Why is he still coming here?” Raiden asks.
Why are you? I almost say.
“I thought the money would be enough to make them back off.”
“They’ve got more cash than us. But I’m grateful, Raiden. It’s helped. A lot.”
He turns slowly to me. When his eyes settle on me, I feel suddenly, achingly wanted.
“Would another fifty thousand make any difference?”
“Isn’t that your last fifty thousand?”
“I can sell my car. Take out a second mortgage. Or explain to Grandma why I need the money. I can always make more money. That’s not your concern.”
“I can’t just let you give me fifty thousand dollars.”
He approaches the counter, making my body tingle all over. The last time we were here together, he was inside of me, hot and heavy as he tipped my world upside down and made me feel, for confusing and amazing moments, that I belonged to him.
“Who said anything about giving?” he asks gruffly. “The winter gala is approaching. One last job, Aurora. One last chance to pretend.”
“Has your grandma given you another ultimatum?”
“No. This is just for me.”
He walks slowly around the counter. I know I should tell him to stop. For the past two weeks, I’ve tried to build my resolve, tried to convince myself I don’t need or want him.
He takes my hands. Electricity hums through me at the contact.
“All you have to say is, yes, sir, I’ll be my date. Yes, sir, I’ll wear the mask one final time.”
“It’s a masked event?”
He smirks. “Not that mask.”
He means the metaphorical one; he means putting on another performance.
I’d go to the winter gala with or without the money, but I can’t tell him that. I can’t tell him I’ve been thinking about him almost nonstop since he walked out of the store the last time.
I nod. “I’ll do it.”
He smooths his hands up my arms, squeezes my shoulders. “No, Aurora.”
Relinquishing control feels so, so good after two weeks of tension and responsibility. “Yes, sir, I’ll be your date.”
“First, let’s make sure we can still kiss convincingly.”
“Just one last job, yeah?” I put my hand on his chest. God, I’ve missed the way his heart pounds for me.
He pushes my hand away and seizes my hips, making a throaty noise of hunger. When he pulls me against him, I forget about the money and Goliath and everything.
All I know, all I care about are his lips, his tongue, the heat in his hands as he runs them up and down my body. He pulls me against him, letting me feel his manhood, already hard for me.
My sex throbs with the memory of last time.
“Raiden,” I whisper between kisses. “People can see in here.”
“I want people to see me with you. To know how special you are to me. To know you belong to me.”
“Belong to you?” I murmur.
“When we’re together. When you’re calling me, sir. You’re mine.”
Of course, he means the game, our special dynamic. It’s a mask we wear. He’s the boss. I’m his plaything.
For a second, I thought he meant something else, something deeper, something impossible.
“I should get back to work,” I say softly.
“Translation–if you don’t leave, Raiden, I won’t be able to stop myself from dropping to my knees and sucking your cock until you’re hard, wet, and ready to fuck me like the horny thing I am.”
My cheeks burn. Everything else is on fire too. “I didn’t say that.”
“You don’t have to, Aurora. Not with me. If that jerk returns, call me. Otherwise, see you at the gala.”
He swaggers out, leaving me to grip the counter, holding myself up as lust surges through me.