My fingers fisted in the sheets beneath me, and a moan escaped my mouth as he pulled out his finger, only to replace it with two. I arched my back and lifted my hips ever so slightly. If he continued his torture, I’d explode. I opened my mouth to ask for more, when he propped up on one elbow, and leaned over me. His mouth closed on mine, and while his fingers continued to thrust inside me, his thumb found my clit. My head began to spin. If from kissing or from the way Chase kept entering me in now slow but measured moves, I had no idea. All I knew was that it wasn’t enough. I had to have more.
I pulled him to me, raising my hips in the hope he’d get the message, but he continued his torture.
“Chase, I’m ready,” I whispered into his mouth.
There, I had said it. My virginity was about to fly out the window and I couldn’t wait for it to happen.
“No, you’re not,” Chase whispered so low I wasn’t sure I had heard him. Following his words with actions, he stopped his delicious torture and pulled his fingers out of me, leaving a feeling of throbbing emptiness behind.
“Why not?” I asked quietly, disappointment and hurt fighting for the center spot position.
“Because you’re not ready yet.” Avoiding my stunned gaze, he shrugged.
“I’m wet for you. How does that not make me ready?” I whispered, cringing at my honesty. “And I really want to.”
Desperately.
“I know. But just because you want me doesn’t make you ready.”
In the soft light of the moon, I watched him get up and pull the covers over my naked body.
Did I do something wrong? I had no idea and I was too mortified to ask.
“Where are you going?” I asked, sitting up.
“I’m sleeping on the couch.”
“But…” My unspoken protest died on my lips.
“I have to.” He groaned, though I couldn’t tell whether it was with displeasure or something else. “Unless you want me to get wild and take advantage of your body, it’s better that I sleep far away from you.”
The sofa wasn’t exactly far away, I wanted to point out, but didn’t. Instead, I tried to read the mixed emotions on his face. I wanted him so badly, my body screamed for his touch, begging me to ask for the kind of release only he could give, but no words passed my lips.
Did I do something wrong?
Had he realized that I was far too inexperienced and was now thinking that I was a waste of his time?
“Someday I’ll take you long and hard, Laurie. Make no mistake about that.” He leaned forward until his breath brushed the corners of my mouth, and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “But for now I’m going to leave you like this.”
“Why?” I croaked.
“Call it payback, baby.”
I frowned and opened my mouth to ask what the hell he was talking about when he pressed a long finger against my lips, stopping me in the process. I could smell myself on his skin, almost taste my juices on him.
“Remember our first date?” I nodded and he cocked his head, his lips twitching. “Your no-nonsense business pretense gave me the mother of hard-ons. I had to make myself cum twice to even get you remotely out of my system.”
My eyes widened at his blunt statement. The image of a naked Chase groaning in ecstasy entered my head and made my clit pulse to life again.
“Will you be okay?” he asked, probably misinterpreting the heavy silence.
I suppressed the need to roll my eyes.
What was I supposed to answer, without sounding in desperate need of him and whatever he had to offer? I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction, but more importantly, I didn’t want to admit to myself that Jude had been right all along: I wasn’t as immune to Chase’s charm as I had pretended to be.
I pulled the sheets up my chest, ignoring the wet sensation covering my folds. “What happened today will never happen again,” I muttered at last. The disappointment in my voice rang clear and true.
Chase let out a strangled laugh. “Give me a few more dates, and you’ll be the one begging me to fuck you. You were quite close to it today. Like I told you before, I have no doubt about that. As you remember, we still have a whole fake marriage left and I have every intention of making you plead before I give you what you want.” His lips touched mine in a fleeting kiss. “Good night, Laurie.”
The door closed behind him. For a long time I stared at the empty space, my thoughts a never-ending trail of Chase, images and fragments of conversations.
I should have been angry at his arrogance, but for some inexplicable reason I found myself gripped by panic because Chase was right. He had no idea just how close I had been to begging. When at least half an hour had passed and no sounds came from outside the bedroom, I finally found the courage to open my legs and touch myself, but quickly lost interest, more frustrated than before because it wasn’t the same.