“At the moment, dinner with my boyfriend.”
His grin was cocky. “Ah. I can see it now. Vivian and her corporate lawyer boyfriend discussing case law over a vegan meal, followed by a documentary and twenty minutes of missionary sex.”
“Not exactly.” I checked the page he’d just signed. “Initial on that line with the giant yellow arrow sticker.”
“No?” He gave me a questioning glance. “Enlighten me, then.”
I sighed heavily. “Mr. Cartwright, I rarely speak out of turn with my clients, but I have to say I’m a bit pleased for your soon to be ex-wife’s good fortune.”
“She’s making out quite well, isn’t she? I should’ve hired a better lawyer.”
The guy dripped with arrogance. I ignored his comment and also the glass of wine the server poured for me.
“Surely you aren’t suggesting I’m anything but God’s gift to the fairer sex,” Henley said lightly.
“I’m pretty sure God wouldn’t gift us with someone so arrogant, inconsiderate and immature.”
He laughed. “Ah, Vivian. I like you.”
“I can’t say the feeling is mutual.”
“So this boyfriend of yours . . . I’ve got him pegged all wrong, then? I picture you with a fairly spineless man who lets you call the shots.”
“Picture whatever you’d like.”
His gaze took on a new intensity. “You should give a man with some balls a shot. Find out how good it can feel to be submissive.”
“My boyfriend would kick your ass if he knew you’d even looked at me, let alone made a comment like that.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah. I really wish you two could meet because I’d truly enjoy seeing you piss yourself.” He’d signed the final line, and I snatched the papers away and returned them to the folder, filing it in my messenger bag. “Now if you’ll excuse me.”
“You’re leaving me to eat dinner alone?”
“Figured you’d like to spend time with your favorite person,” I said, picking up my pen from the table.
“I can’t even keep the pen?” His shit eating grin made my blood boil.
“Good evening, Mr. Cartwright. Thanks in advance for the indulgent dinner I’ll order from room service at the hotel.”
He laughed and sipped his wine. “I look forward to seeing you soon, Miss Marceau.”
“I can’t say the same.”
I turned and left, the server avoiding eye contact with me as I walked past. I couldn’t wait to book a flight home and get back to Kane. Henley reminded me of all the men I’d wasted time on before finding my one and only.
Viv
THE CAB RIDE TO THE club gave me a chance to freshen up my makeup and dab on a touch of the perfume Kane liked. I was tired from my weekend of travel, but I wasn’t waiting one more day to see him.
Part of my fatigue was caused by missing him. I needed his arms around me. Nothing relaxed me like nestling against his hard chest and breathing in his cedar and leather smell. And after my frustrating weekend of getting the runaround from Henley, I needed to relax in a bad way.
When the cab cruised to a stop at the curb, I paid the driver, got out and saw Kane walking toward me.
“Hey, babe.” He pulled me into his arms and held me close. “Missed you.”
“I missed you, too. I’m so frazzled. I just need to be alone with you tonight.”
“I’ve got a suite ready for us upstairs.” He put an arm around my waist and led me into the club.
Rosie was working the door tonight, and he nodded at me. “Hey, Viv.”
“Hey, Rosie.”
Despite his giant, tough-guy exterior, Rosie was a super sweet guy. Kind of like someone else I knew.
Kane took my hand and wove through the densely packed crowd of people. We went up the wide stairway and into a suite. As soon as he closed the door, the sound of pounding music vanished.
“Oh, Kane.” I eyed the spread of food on the table. Bread and butter, salads, a bottle of chilling wine and . . . I opened the stainless dome covering one of two bowls on the candlelit table for two . . . the spicy soup I’d missed the other night. “I’m starving. This looks amazing.”
His lips curved up in a smile. “So let’s eat. I’m starving, too.”
I sat down across from him and sighed deeply, finally able to relax.
“Does this mean you can slow down with work?” he asked, holding out the bread basket so I could take a piece. “You’ve been killing yourself lately.”
“I got the signature I needed, so I’m close to the end. That client will get billed something like twenty grand for me having to come chase him down like that.”
“Fuckin’ dumbass.”
“You have no idea. But enough about that. How was your dinner with Brooklyn?”
He looked down at his plate. “Good. She did a cheer for me and I saw her spelling test on the fridge. She got ‘em all right. How’d I end up with such a smart kid?”
“You’re pretty smart yourself.”
“Yeah, for a felon.”
I finished chewing my bread and then took the glass of wine he’d poured me, enjoying a long sip.
“First of all, don’t disparage yourself. You are smart. And also, some of the most intelligent people in the history of the human race have been criminals.”
“I miss your bed,” he said.
“What’s with the random subject change?”
He shrugged. “I know you’re exhausted, but I want to come sleep at your place when I leave here.”
I took another drink of my wine and smiled at him over my glass. “I had a key made for you, so you can let yourself in now.”
“Damn right I will. I’m comin’ over every night.”
Our server delivered steak, red potatoes and asparagus. I was only able to eat half the food before pushing my plate away. Once the server had cleared away the dishes and I finished half the bottle of wine, Kane pulled me over to the leather sofa along one wall of the room.
No matter how tired I was, I couldn’t help the stir of arousal I inevitably felt when he kissed me. His lips trailed down my jaw line to my neck. The brush of his beard made my skin tingle with delicious awareness. And when he started sliding my clothes off me, I tipped my head back and moaned, blissfully surrendering my body to him.
His mouth grew hungrier, nipping at my naked skin as he quickly took off his clothes. Within a few seconds, he’d rolled on a condom, sat down on the couch and took hold of my hips, easing me on top of him.
I straddled him, taking in his dark, desperate gaze. I wasn’t sure if I was more intoxicated by my need for him or his for me.
When he lowered my hips until he sank all the way into me, I cried out with eager satisfaction. This was exactly what I needed–to abandon everything but him in this moment. I took over, sliding my body up and down his length until he groaned deeply for more.
“Yes, baby. Ride my dick with that gorgeous cunt. You’re so fuckin’ wet, Viv.” He took a handful of my hair and pulled until my eyes were level with his. “No other man will ever see this cunt, you hear me? No other man will ever taste it. Or see these big, perfect tits.” He smacked one of my bouncing breasts and then ground out another groan as I sank all the way onto him and lingered there. “Your body is just for me. Your tight ass is mine.”
He put two long fingers in his mouth and withdrew them, sliding the tips into my ass as I resumed riding him.
“Oh God, Kane.” An orgasm tore through me like a freight train, obliterating everything else.
“Don’t stop fucking riding my cock, Viv,” he ordered. “Balls deep.”
I obeyed, and the hard, deep contact intensified my orgasm. He slid his fingers further into my ass and wrapped his free arm around my waist, driving his hips upward and fucking me hard.
“Ah, fuck.” His voice was a labored rasp. “Viv . . . Shit. I’m coming.”
There was nothing but the sounds of slapping skin, heavy breathing and groaning as we ground our hips together and I rode out the deepest, most intense orgasm of my life. Kane gently slipped his fingers out of my ass and wrapped both his arms around my back, holding me tightly.