Taken By The Billionaire(7)
“There’s a hell of a lot of trust involved in the games I’d play with you. You’d have to trust me. But I’d look after you too. Could you trust Rafe enough to take risks with him in public places? I’d say that since he betrayed you in such a nasty way that you definitely couldn’t have trusted him. He’d have run and left you to take whatever came your way. I’d never do that, Kylie; I’d look after you.
“Don’t you have fantasies like that? Putting yourself out there knowing you have a man you can depend on. It would be a thrill, such a rush. In Paris I’ll take you to places nobody knows us and get you to take risks that will make your cheeks burn.
“I’m so hard for you right now, Kylie, and I might just take it out under the table here and let you watch as I stroke it.
“Did Rafe ever say things like that, Kylie?
“Would Rafe make you sit on an old ladder-backed chair with your wrists bound behind your back while he slowly teased you with his fingers and mouth? I’m talking about kissing your neck and stroking your breasts and finding the places on your body that make you squirm while someone, me, explores you.”
Kylie rose to her feet. “Thanks for your time, Mister Taylor. Thanks for the dinner and the wine. And thank you for your offer, but no, I won’t sleep with you.”
I hate the F-word – Failure – and I sure as fuck couldn’t stand to fail with this girl. What I hoped then was that I’d said something that struck a chord with Kylie, and that I’d made her tingle with the possibilities.
Perhaps I’d overdone it, and even if Kylie had been turned on by the ideas I’d laid out there then social conditioning would have prompted her reaction.
Did she entertain any of the kinds of fantasies I’d so graphically painted? Did she have a penchant for something different, something I hadn’t mentioned, or maybe she is just as vanilla as they made them?
Kylie hesitated. I saw the abject look crease her face and knew I’d played my ace card in reminding Kylie of the reason she’d sought me out in the first place.
“Sit down,” I said brusquely.
The girl hesitated again. If she left the chances were I’d probably blown it. I could go after her but that isn’t my style. If she sat back down maybe I had another chance.
“Come on, Kylie. Talk to me.”
She made a move as though to leave, stopped and then cast an anxious look around at the other diners.
“Thank you,” I breathed when she slid back onto her chair.
“Well?” she said, avoiding my eyes.
“Look, I’m sorry. Maybe I went too far. I just haven’t felt a pull this strong for a long time. Hell, I’m giving you what you want. You get the part. It’s your chance. Would the two of us together be so bad? Don’t you find me at least a little attractive?”
Kylie flicked a glance my way. “It isn’t that,” she responded as she picked at the label on the wine bottle with a painted fingernail. “I mean, yeah, you’re quite good-looking.” Kylie shrugged as though to concede an off-hand point. “And you look in good shape.” She rolled her eyes and said, “And yeah, yeah I’ve read the gossip about how big you’re supposed to be and what a studly-good-fuck you are—”
Incredulous, I interrupted her. “—Studly-good-fuck? What the fuck! Who wrote that about me?”
“Whatever,” Kylie responded. She actually smirked and snorted. “So you’re all that, and rich and powerful to boot. But I won’t let myself be … used like that, Mister Taylor.”
“I won’t use you, Kylie,” I said as I reached for the fingers that still picked at the label. “When I say you only sleep with me, I meant that as a reciprocal deal. Yeah, I admit there was a time when I would’ve fucked the crack of dawn if it were possible. But after what I did to Stella and what Marianne did to me, and especially since you’re so fragile at the moment, I wouldn’t do that to you. I know the pain of loss and I just wouldn’t do it.”
I sensed the girl was teetering when she murmured, “Really?” her eyes huge with the question.
“I’m a man of my word, Kylie. Take that to the fucking bank.” I squeezed her hand gently and she looked into my face. “Tell me you didn’t fancy me when you saw me in the office today. Tell me that you don’t feel something too.”
Her eyes continued to search mine as the shroud of silence descended around us again. Kylie nodded, almost imperceptibly, but there was a nod.