“You made the right decision, princess.” He carried her luggage to the car.
“You can take that smug look off your face, Benetti,” she told him as he stowed her luggage in the trunk. “I know there’s an attraction between us. Goddamn it, you know it’s there, too. But I can’t see how spending a month with each other is gonna solve anything.”
“I think differently. We share a connection, Lia, whether you like it or not.”
“Don’t flatter yourself, Benetti. I see you’re without your driver today?” she mocked as he opened the passenger door for her.
“I like to drive myself, Lia. I mainly use a driver when I’m on casino business.”
“Huh, what you really mean is, you drive yourself when you don’t want your employees knowing what you’re up to.”
“You’re very cynical,” he stated, staring into her beautiful green eyes. However, her observations were close to the truth. People talked. The less his staff knew about his private life, the better.
“Cynical? I can’t help being cynical. I guess it’s because of the type of men I’ve been dealing with lately.” With her final poisonous barb she slid into the passenger seat.
Jake closed her door, making sure he didn’t trap her dress, then walked around and sat beside her. Had he expected a rapturous welcome? That wasn’t Lia’s style. He guessed she was her own woman outside the bedroom, but inside the bedroom, well, that was a different story entirely. In the bedroom she was exactly his type of woman, totally submissive and eager to please her Dom. It was as if a switch had been thrown. Between the sheets, Lia was almost too good to be true. So much so, in fact, that he’d wondered if that magical evening they’d shared together had been engineered by her to make him forget about the money. Which begged the question—was she here with him now simply to just pay off the debt? He dismissed that thought. The way Lia had responded when he’d fucked her was genuine. He was sure of that. She’d enjoyed it as much as he had. That was exactly why she was here with him now. She wanted more of the same.
Jake gunned the Mustang into life and began to drive them both from the airport. He couldn’t stop his gaze from wandering to her silky, smooth legs, and the delicate red shoes she wore. Her hands were clasped around her purse and rested on her lap. Each fingernail had been painted a hot, passionate red, exactly matching her dress and shoes. Long, slim arms with a light, feminine dusting of gossamer hair caught the sunlight as they drove through the Vegas suburbs. Lia was perfect in every way. His cock ached for her.
“Shouldn’t we have turned left at the last intersection?” She sounded slightly worried.
“No.”
“But that’s the way to your casino?”
“Yes.”
“Then where are you taking me?”
“My home is in Summerlin.”
Agitated, Lia rifled through her purse. She pulled out her cell phone. “I’m gonna call my friend. Just to let her know where I’m going.”
“You’re perfectly safe with me, princess. You can give her my landline number if you’re worried.”
A faint smile spread on her lips, and she tossed the cell phone back into her purse. “No need, it’s okay. Monica doesn’t need to know all my business. Just like your employees don’t need to know yours.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe you’ve just cost me my dream job.”
“You owe me a million bucks, Lia. You can’t just walk away.”
She stared at him a serious look to her face. “I would have paid you back. When the money came through, I was gonna send you a check.”
Jake raised an eyebrow and her lips pouted even more.
“You don’t believe me, do you?”
He shrugged and turned the car onto the ridge road. “Lia, you were about to leave the country, without so much as a forwarding address. Your actions speak for themselves.”
“You don’t believe me. I can see it in your eyes. Oh, well, there’s nothing I can do about that. You’ll just have to think badly of me. See if I care. Once my money comes through, I’ll be out of here.”
“Until then, you belong to me.”
“For now, but don’t get used to it.”
Jake felt his lips firming into a hard line. “You protest too much, princess. I know exactly what lights your fire, so don’t kid yourself. The reason you’re here now, instead of flying at thirty thousand feet, is because you want what I’m offering.”
“Jesus, you’ve got a nerve. Your ego is bigger than the whole of Nevada. The reason I’m here is…” Her words drifted away as she pointed up ahead. “Is that your place?”
“Yes.”
“It’s beautiful.”
Jake parked the car outside the opulent entrance, and then turned to Lia. He gently stroked a hand down her cheek, drifting a thumb across her perfect, pouting lips. He positively ached for her. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered in her ear. “I’ll show you around, and once you’re settled in, I aim to get reacquainted.” Using his thumb he tilted her head back. Her long brown lashes swept open and her eyes connected with his. He saw her pupils dilate as he covered her mouth with his own. Her sexual moan as he pressed his lips to hers was reward in itself, but feeling her body respond as she clung to his shoulders made any doubts about their compatibility disappear. Lia wanted him.
Chapter Sixteen
Lia had to admire Jake’s home as he showed her around. It was exquisitely furnished, and equally as opulent as his penthouse apartment back at the casino complex. Cool marble floors were ideal for combating the debilitating Nevada heat. Sophisticated artwork decorated the walls. Most of the paintings looked like they’d been commissioned, because every piece fitted perfectly to the surroundings. The furniture had a heavy Baroque style to it. Each large chunky chair, table, or mirror was carved with an elaborate foliage design. These strong, exuberant pieces gave a sophisticated Bohemian opulence to the grandeur of the house. The whole property seemed to complement Jake’s personality—successful, dominant, and dramatic.
The overall area of the house was huge. It occupied five levels as it rose into the hillside. As Jake led the way down a corridor on the top floor, he pointed to one of several impressive oak doors that lined the wide hallway. “This is my bedroom. I’ll leave you here to freshen up, and I’ll be back shortly.”
Jake pushed open the heavy door and she ducked under his arm. An ornate and highly embellished four-poster bed dominated the room, making an impressive statement. Lia had never seen such a large bed before. Her vagina moistened at the mere thought of what Jake might do to her here.
“I intend to have a very long shower, so don’t rush back,” she told him. Her panties might be wet in anticipation, but she wouldn’t allow him to have it all his own way.
Even though she longed for his masculine touch, she still fumed at the way he’d arrogantly turned up at the airport, a full month after they’d last been together. There’d been no contact from him whatsoever. Okay, so she might owe him a shitload of money, and he had every right to demand it back. But after the wonderful night of white-hot sex they’d shared together, she’d a right to expect some form of communication from him. It made Jake appear cold and heartless, yet, deep down she knew that wasn’t true. That was the reason she was here with him now. The decision to stay and thrash out their relationship hadn’t really been a hard one to make. Jake was everything she wanted in a man.
“Be warned, princess, there’s no lock on the door. I’ll decide how long you spend in the shower, not you.”
His cool blue gaze connected with hers. She’d seen that predator look before, and she knew he meant business. “Very well.” Lia folded her arms across her chest. “Would you like me to call you Master, while I’m here?”
“Master is good, but I prefer Sir. This will be perfectly adequate when we’re formal. Otherwise I will allow you to call me Jake.” With that, he strode from the room.
She couldn’t stop her heart beating out of control as he walked away. Her breathing became heavy and labored. Soon she would feel the full force of his dominant personality, unleashed for the first time. She could barely contain herself.
Left alone, Lia went straight into the en suite. She hurriedly stripped, and stepped under the shower. Her hand shook as she turned on the water and reached for the shower gel. When she began soaping her body, her thoughts drifted to how her day had changed. If things had gone to plan, she should have been landing in Florida right now, ready to start her dream job. An elegant cruise ship would have been waiting to luxuriously transport her around the Caribbean. Instead, she stood naked in Jake Benetti’s shower, waiting for him to come and fuck her. Just how crazy was that?
After ten minutes, the comforting stream of hot water unexpectedly stopped. She saw his shadow through the steamed up glass. “Jake, I haven’t finished showering.”
“You have now.”
Lia swallowed hard. Her time was up. As she stepped from the cubicle, she hoped she wouldn’t regret a minute of it.