Текст книги "Betting on You: A Danvers Novella"

Автор книги: Sydney Landon

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Chapter Five

“You did what!” Mia stuttered. “Oh my God, why would you do that?”

Her mother sat across the table from her at Starbucks sipping a non-fat soy latte. “Please lower your voice, Mia; we don’t need the entire place hearing our conversation.”

Mia knew it was bad when her mother called her early the morning after the charity auction and demanded that she meet her for coffee before work. She had imagined a million different reasons but none of them came close. “I can’t believe you had your secretary buy Seth Jackson for me. I . . . don’t even know what to say. Does Dad know about this?”

“No, he doesn’t. Your father would never pay attention to a bachelor auction, so he never noticed Cathy bidding. She has only been with me a few months.”

“Okay,” Mia sighed. “That still doesn’t answer why.”

Her mother appeared to take her time answering before finally saying, “You never seem to be interested in anything other than work. I watched you with Seth at lunch yesterday and you were so at ease with him.”

Exasperated, Mia said, “Mom, it was just business.”

“You laughed, you smiled, and your whole body was relaxed. I haven’t seen you like that in so long. I know you will finish your work there and move on. But, I thought if you and Seth had the opportunity to get to know each other in a social setting that maybe your connection might continue after your assignment there is complete.”

How was she supposed to respond to a statement like that? She was attracted to Seth and she had been hoping something might come of it after her job at the Oceanix Resort was done, but she hadn’t been expecting this. Normal mothers bought their daughters dinner or some new shoes. Her mother bought her a man. It completely boggled her mind that her polished, society darling mother had even thought of it, much less taken the time for the careful execution of the scheme. Was she that concerned about her love life or lack of one? It wasn’t as if it would reassure her if she confessed that she had casual sex when the need arose or used her vibrator. Yeah, that would be a proud moment for any mother. The need just hadn’t arisen lately. “Mom, I . . . I guess this is one of those, ‘it’s the thought that counts’ moments, so er . . . thank you for that. I think though considering the circumstances, that we should just let Seth off the hook. You can just make the contribution and everyone will be happy.”

To her surprise, her mother shook her head saying, “Oh, no, I wouldn’t be happy. Seth agreed to the arrangement and it will stand. If anyone backs out, I will withdraw my money.”

“What? You can’t do that to your own charity.”

Smiling, her mother said, “The charity wouldn’t suffer, dear. Seth would pay the money instead. That was part of the agreement. If, for some reason, any of the bachelors were unable to fulfill their obligation, they would make the donation instead. It wouldn’t be fair to the person bidding for one of the men to drop out now, would it?”

Wow, her mother was more than a little scary. She didn’t know whether she was impressed or pissed off. She had Seth all neatly tied into the deal. If she backed out, then her mother would probably find some way to make Seth pay as well. Good Lord, it seemed as if the wrong person was running the family business. Her mother was something of a shark. Maybe there was more there than the cool façade that she always presented to the world and to her daughter. Sadly, this was one of the few times in her adult life that she felt some kind of connection to the woman who had given birth to her.

She would just talk to Seth tomorrow and let him know what was going on. They could go out somewhere for a quick dinner to fulfill the terms of the auction and make everyone happy. No one at Danvers had to know about it. They were both adults here. “Alright, Mom, it looks like you won this one. It’s just dinner though so don’t bother contacting a wedding planner.”

Her mother gave her a satisfied smile in return. “I knew you would come around, dear. After all, why would any woman in her right mind argue over spending an evening with Seth Jackson?” Why indeed, Mia thought. She had to agree with her mother, but likely for different reasons. Her mother was thinking of his wallet size and Mia was thinking of the size of something else.

* * *

Damn, where was Seth? He hadn’t been in his office all day. She had been all prepared to talk to him about their “date” tonight and he was a no-show. Margie said that he had driven down to Charleston to the resort there to meet with his brother. She thought that he would be back sometime that afternoon. Looking at her watch, she uttered another curse. It was after four and there was still no sign of him. What was she supposed to do now? Her mother had called her earlier and told her that Seth had called Cathy and made arrangements to meet her at the restaurant Ivy at six. She finally gave up at five and went home to get ready. She would just explain it to him in person. He would be surprised to see her, but surely, he would understand.

When she arrived home, she took a quick shower and pondered her next decision. If she wore homely underwear, she was less likely to let things get out of hand. Dammit, it almost seemed like a sin though with the short, flirty fuchsia dress that she had picked out, especially since she had a bra and panty set that would match it perfectly. If she wore granny panties, there were bound to be panty lines, right? She put on her silk thong underwear and the matching demi bra and then slid into the dress. She was a sucker for a skirt with some twirl in it and this fit the bill perfectly. The top of the dress had a square neckline with a bustier-type bodice. She added a pair of four-inch black platform sandals and stood back to survey her reflection. She knew she was playing with fire. She should be dressed in something approaching business attire. You didn’t go to a restaurant with a man dressed in a short dress and fuck-me heels and have any hope of keeping things strictly professional. She wanted him and thanks to the unexpected intervention from her mother, she was in a position to have that opportunity sooner than expected.

If things went well, the installation project at Oceanix Resort would be finished in another week or so. Assuming that Seth was willing, surely they could use this next week for foreplay. No lines needed to be crossed when the finish line was just ahead of them. What was wrong with a little harmless flirting tonight just to gauge his level of interest in taking things to a personal level?

Her mother was correct about one thing: she seldom had this type of instant connection to someone. She had felt like she had been sucker-punched when they had met in his office for the first time. That type of connection was something she had only read about, but never experienced. There was an attraction there and she was sure that it wasn’t one-sided. He had seemed uncomfortable around her and she thought that was because he had felt that same way. God, she hoped she wasn’t misreading the whole thing. They might not be able to do anything about it tonight, but she intended to confirm Seth’s attraction to her, and her little pink dress should help her do just that.

Chapter Six

Seth scanned the crowded bar area at Ivy, looking for the blonde from the auction. He was a few moments late, but the hostess assured him that his party had not arrived. When he was making another pass around the room, he spotted a familiar figure at the bar seated between two men in business suits. She looked up and noticed him at the same time. What was she doing here? He had stayed away from the office all day to avoid having to work in close quarters with her again. He had no self-control around her. He knew that visions of throwing her across his desk and fucking her until she couldn’t stand up would make it damn near impossible to get any work done.

Now, here she was in this restaurant of all places, looking like pure sex. The men sitting near her at the bar looked like they were in need of bibs. He knew the feeling; he felt like checking himself for drool as well. She was wearing a sexy dress in an eye-catching color. When she stood, he saw a pair of high heels that only brought to mind other fantasies involving her wearing them and nothing else. The man next to her was obviously disappointed by her departure. He saw both men and women staring as she crossed the small space confidently to meet him. Giving him a flirty smile, she said, “You’re late.”

Before he could even think about what she said, he answered automatically, “I know, sorry about that.” Then it hit him. How could she possibly . . . ? “What?”

Mia appeared to take pity on him as he struggled for a reply. Taking his arm, she said, “It’s a long story. Why don’t we go to our table and I’ll tell you everything.”

Still at a loss, he said, “But, I’m supposed to be meeting someone.”

“I’m the someone you are meeting. Just trust me. I’ll tell you everything when we’re seated. There is no one else coming.” They were starting to attract some attention and by that point, he was intrigued despite himself, so he held his hand out, indicating that she should precede him. Within a few moments they were seated at a window table. He stayed quiet until they had placed their drink order and then settled back to give her a questioning look. He had a feeling this was going to be entertaining.

“I must admit, you have me more than a little curious.”

She gave him a slight smile, looking suddenly nervous. “Er . . . I don’t really know where to begin. I guess I should say that the blonde who bid on you at the auction is actually my mother’s assistant, Cathy. She was instructed to, um . . . buy you at my mother’s directive.”

He interrupted her, clearly surprised. “Your mother bought me? Why in the world would she do that?”

By this point, Mia’s cheeks had flushed to a hue that matched her dress. “For me,” she whispered.

“Pardon?” he asked, not sure that he had heard her correctly.

Clearly exasperated with him, she said louder than she had probably intended, “She bought you for me!”

He knew it was probably his imagination that everyone in the restaurant was suddenly looking at them. He was sure there were probably a few people in the back who hadn’t caught that attention-getting statement. Holding up his hand, he said, “Okay, I got that. Does she . . . do this type of thing for you often? I mean, buy you dates?”

The confident Mia seemed to have returned as she chuckled at his question. “No, believe it or not, you’re a first. Apparently, seeing us together at lunch yesterday gave her the idea. Wouldn’t you think she would have just tried to fix us up or something instead of spending thousands to force you to have dinner with me? Sorry about that, by the way. I was planning to tell you all of this at your office today, but you never came in. I didn’t want to just not show up tonight. Plus my mom assured me that if you cancelled, you would have to pay the money yourself, which isn’t exactly fair.” He felt like his head was spinning at the end of her rapid-fire list of things that had brought them to this point tonight. All he could focus on was how sexy she looked in that dress. He had to refrain from moaning out loud when he noticed the distinct outline of her nipples against the fitted material. He wondered how they would taste when he licked the tips with his tongue.

“Seth . . . Seth . . . hellooo.”

Finally, her words penetrated the sexual fog and he was sure that his face was now the color of her dress as well. His heavy cock pressing painfully against the zipper of his pants made it necessary to shift in his chair before answering her. “Sorry, Mia, that’s . . . it’s fine, really. It’s not a big deal. Who knows why parents do the things they do? Let’s just have dinner and enjoy the evening. You look beautiful, by the way.” Way to keep things business, Jackson. You shouldn’t notice how she looks, much less compliment her on it.

“Holy hell, that’s a relief. I was afraid you were going to freak out or something.” When the waiter returned with the bottle of wine that Seth had ordered, she held her glass up.

“Do you want to sample it first?”

Smirking, she shook her head. “No way, I trust your judgment. Go ahead and fill it up. I could use the liquid courage.”

He smiled in agreement. So far this evening was nothing like he had planned . . . it was so much better that it scared the shit out of him.

* * *

Mia was tipsy. How had that happened? Maybe she had drunk a glass or two of wine before their meal arrived, but surely that wasn’t enough to have her giggling at everything Seth said like a schoolgirl. He didn’t seem to be in much better shape than she was. Oh, shit, were there two bottles of wine on their table or was she seeing double? When she had told him a few minutes before that his ass was so beautiful she wanted to take a bite out of it, she knew she had had one too many. Far from being offended, he had shifted his chair closer to hers and now had a hand on her thigh dangerously close to the hemline of her dress. She should move away or go to the restroom and hide. Was she doing any of those things, though? No, she was returning the gesture and running her hand up his thigh. She wasn’t stopping there, either; she was now stroking the outline of his hard cock through his trousers, and his wandering hand was getting closer and closer to the apex of her thighs. Before she thought better of it, she said, “You’re a big boy, Seth, a really big boy.”

“And you’re a bad girl, Mia, a very bad girl. Let’s get out of here so I can do something about that for you.”

She made a feeble excuse. “But, my car is here.” He rubbed his hand against the thin silk of her thong and she fought to control the moan that rose to her lips.

“I’ve got a car and a driver. I just texted him and told him to pick us up at the entrance. I’ll have your car brought to my house.” Before she knew it, Seth had settled the bill and was steering her toward the door with a hand in the small of her back. She gave a bright smile to the man holding the rear door of a shiny, black car open as Seth helped her inside. When he pulled her into his lap as the car started moving, she looked toward the front in alarm. “It’s okay; there is a privacy glass so Mike won’t be able to hear or see a thing.”

That was all she needed to know. She settled her mouth against the lips she had been admiring all evening and slipped her tongue inside his mouth. He tasted faintly of wine and of the chocolate soufflé that they had shared for dessert. Completely and utterly delicious. He took over the kiss and devoured her mouth. His hands settled against her ass, kneading it before pushing her into closer contact with his cock. She rubbed herself against him unashamedly, desperate for relief. When she felt him lean her back in his arms, she protested the loss of contact. “I want you . . . now.”

“Shhh, it’s okay. I don’t want to fuck you in the car the first time, but let me make you feel good.”

His hand slid her panties to the side and his long finger stroked her wet slit. She moaned and moved her hips, seeking the full pressure of his hand. “Oh, yeah, you like that, don’t you?” Suddenly his finger was inside of her, buried to the palm of his hand.

“Oh, God,” she bucked against him. “Please.” He added another finger and thrust them in and out of her. His thumb rubbed against her clit and she felt the explosion begin inside her. Tremors wracked her body as wave after wave of pleasure streaked through her. He continued to milk her for everything she had. His fingers were relentless as another orgasm threatened. She was so sensitive that she thought she would die if he didn’t stop. She attempted to clamp her legs together and shift away from him.

He gave a husky laugh, tweaking her clit one last time before removing his hand from between her legs. “We’re almost at my place, and I want to be buried inside of you the next time you come.”

“Where do you live? Please tell me we aren’t going to your hotel.”

“I split my free time between a house on the beach and a penthouse at the Oceanix. I didn’t think it was a good idea for us to be seen in our, um . . . condition walking through the resort. I thought my home would be more private.”

The gates opened ahead and the car pulled smoothly into the circular drive of his home. He helped Mia straighten her clothing before the driver opened the rear door. He kept his hand at her back as he escorted her to the front door. The house and grounds were well lit by landscape lighting, but it still took him a moment to fumble for his keys. Mia stuck her hand in his pocket, skimming near his cock. “Need some help finding your . . . keys?” she joked.

He raised an eyebrow saying, “If you keep that up, I’ll fuck you against the door and forget trying to open it.” She felt a thrill shoot through her at the image his words invoked. She had no idea that he was so forceful and she had to admit, she loved it. Her intuition had told her that Seth would be good in bed. She now thought he might be more like the Holy Grail. The man had some kink, which was an unexpected turn-on. She would have never pictured him fingering her to an orgasm in the back of a car. Even with her alcohol buzz starting to wear off, she had no plans of backing out. Just this once she was going to mix business with pleasure. She had come too far to stop now.

A lamp burning in the foyer cast a dim glow on the surroundings. Before she could look further, his hand settled on the curve of her ass and pushed her forward to what she presumed was his bedroom, if the massive bed was any indication. “If you don’t mind, let’s skip the tour for now and get on to more . . . pressing business. I believe I promised you an orgasm with my cock inside of you and I’m ready to make good on that.”

What little modesty she had left was gone. Her only reply was, “Could you unzip me, please?”

“Most fucking definitely, sweetheart.”

When Seth lowered her zip, she stepped away from him before he could remove her dress. He moaned his frustration with her evasive maneuvers before she turned back to him, making eye contact. She slowly lowered the top of her dress, exposing her barely contained breasts to his hungry gaze. With a shimmy of her hips, the dress continued down until it pooled at her feet. She kicked the fabric away and allowed him a moment to enjoy the her lingerie. When he tried to reach for her, she took another step back. She pushed him back onto the bed saying, “Not yet, cowboy, this is my show. Just enjoy it.”

Mia had no idea who the wanton woman was who had taken control of her body. She blamed it on the alcohol, even though she thought she could walk a straight line now if needed. Keeping her bra and panties on, she turned around, spread her legs, and settled her hands on her hips. She slowly started to swivel her hips from side to side. She circled around until her ass was in Seth’s line of sight and lowered her body until she felt his hand stroke one of her cheeks. She spun away, unclipping the front clasp of her bra and allowing it to drop as she turned back to face him. She noticed with satisfaction that his face was flushed and he appeared to be breathing harder as she reached up to cup her breasts, lightly pinching the nipples that had puckered under the heat of his gaze. Her body continued to sway in a sultry dance as she hooked her hands in the side of her panties and smiled at Seth’s ragged moan. It was naughty of her to torture him so much, but he seemed to appreciate the show even if it was starting to torture her as much as it was him.

She gasped in surprise as he suddenly leapt from his seat on the bed and put his large hands over her smaller hands, stopping her from removing her thong. “Oh, no, baby,” he growled, “I believe it’s my move now.”

Wiggling her hands from under his, she purred, “Only if you remove some clothing. I’m feeling a little underdressed.” Without waiting for his approval, she pulled his button-down shirt from his slacks and started unbuttoning it. His fingers dug into her thighs as she nibbled her way down his chest, nipping at the flesh each button exposed. She reached his belt and congratulated herself on getting it unbuckled in record time. When she reached for the button of his slacks, he grabbed her wrists, stopping her.

“That’s enough for now. If those sweet hands of yours touch my cock right now, this might be over sooner than either of us wants. Let’s focus on you.” He turned and nudged her toward the seat on the bed that he had recently vacated. When she dropped down to the edge, he knelt between her spread legs and eased his way closer to her. She obligingly spread her legs further until he was nestled against her core. His fingertips glided down her arms as his gaze ran over every exposed inch of her body. “So fucking perfect. Shit, you make me want to fuck you first and think about the rest later.” Her body clenched in anticipation, more than agreeable to his suggestion until he added, “But . . . I won’t. A body like this must be stroked . . . licked . . . sucked, and savored first. Then I’ll have you grip the headboard while I fuck you . . . hard.” A moan escaped her parted lips causing him to smirk. “I think you like that don’t you, Mia?” She nodded her agreement, but he wasn’t satisfied with that. “Tell me you like it.”

“I . . . I like it. I want that,” she whispered.

“I think you just earned another orgasm.” His hand trailed down her throat before finding her erect nipples. He palmed one while stroking the stiff peak on the other. Just when Mia had grown accustomed to the gentle pressure of his hands on her breasts, he suddenly pinched both nipples firmly. Her body jerked at the combination of pleasure and pain. Moisture gathered between her thighs, making her panties embarrassingly wet, and his hands left her breasts and circled closer and closer to her core. She shifted her hips, begging him to make the contact that she so desperately needed. By the time his fingers brushed against her slit through the wet fabric of her panties, she thought she might explode. She was ready to push the material aside and push his hand against her throbbing clit. The man had way too damn much self-control. Without warning, he grasped the side of the delicate material and gave a firm tug. She gasped in surprise as the silk gave way. He performed the action on the opposite side and suddenly the panties were gone in the blink of an eye. He lifted her legs, draped them over his shoulders, and lowered his head before she had time to protest. He buried his face between her legs and . . . sniffed. What the hell? “Ah fuck, baby, you smell so sweet. If you taste half as good, I’m never going to want to leave your hot little pussy.”

Shit, Mia thought, Seth Jackson talks dirty. Could this get any better?

When his tongue slipped through her folds and circled her clit, she knew had her answer. The man had the tongue of a god! He alternated between licking her like an ice cream and sucking her clit like a damn Hoover. Her eyes literally rolled back in her head as the best orgasm of her life came ripping through her body like a freight train. When he added his fingers to the mix and started pistoning them in and out of her, every nerve ending in her body caught fire. She clamped her legs around his hand, not sure if she was trying to push him away or trap him there forever. She was as limp as a dishrag when he finally removed those magical fingers and stood to discard his remaining clothing.

Mia was sure she could pack it up and go home at this point and still have had the best sexual experience of her life. Well . . . until she saw the impressive cock that Seth’s slacks had been covering. Her poor vagina didn’t know whether to freeze in anticipation or run scared. To say that he was impressive in that department was an understatement; the man could make a fortune in the porn industry if he ever decided on a career change. He stood still for a moment, content to let her look her fill. “Wow,” she finally murmured, “you don’t believe in doing things halfway, do you, Mr. Jackson?”

Smirking, he said, “No, I don’t, Miss Gentry. Now how about sliding back onto the bed so I can join you.” She managed to move backward in what she knew was a very ungraceful crawl. He grabbed a condom from the bedside drawer before settling between her legs once again. She was surprised when he lifted her legs against his chest and shoulders, elevating her hips into the air. Without any warning, she felt his large cock probe her wet slit before he plunged into her.

“Ahhh, God!” she screamed as her body rushed to accommodate his size.

He strained to hold back asking, “Too deep?”

“Just give me a minute,” she panted. When he used his thumb to start rubbing her clit, she forgot her discomfort. She wouldn’t have cared if he split her in two. She circled her hips, moaning when she felt his cock sliding further inside her. “Seth . . . ple-e-ease.” He didn’t need to be asked twice. His buried his cock inside of her again and settled into a relentless rhythm that she was helpless to resist. When his grip loosened on her legs, she wiggled them free and wrapped them around his lean waist, raising her hips to meet each thrust.

“Holy fuck, Mia!” he shouted as her body started to shudder around his. She felt his cock start to twitch and then he was coming apart along with her. He continued to slide in and out afterward, bringing them both back down from their high. She was too exhausted by that point to move. She was dimly aware of Seth going into the bathroom and coming back. She thought she should offer to go home now, but she couldn’t find the strength to care. She curled against the warmth that settled at her back and was fast asleep within moments.