15
Jade stretched beneath the sheets, a wide smile sliding across her face. Her nipples piqued at the feel of the smooth cotton caressing her naked body. She felt…sated.
For maybe the first time in her life.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t had sex before. She had. But never in all those times had her body felt so well used. She cast a glance at the man who had mastered her body many times throughout the night. He lay on his stomach, his head turned to the side.
She still couldn’t believe how hungry they had been for each other. The club had been nothing more than an appetizer.
In the elevator.
In the kitchen.
On the couch.
That had been the main course.
In all her life, she had never been so reckless, so unbelievably hot for someone. She had always played it safe. Done what was expected. But last night, when she took that whip in her hand, she had experienced a control most only dreamt about.
Clay had given her that.
Turning her head, she stared at him fully. She had known that coming here was a risk, but the last thing she expected to risk was her heart. After last night, one thing was blaringly clear. She was in real danger of falling in love with the one man she’d sworn she would never be with. Her pulse raced at the realization that she was in far too deep.
Being careful not to wake him, she slid out of the bed, grabbing her panties from the floor. She pulled them over her legs before reaching for a white dress shirt that hung on the valet in the corner. Sliding her arms into the sleeves, she turned her face into the collar to breathe in his scent. Tiptoeing, she crept down the stairs, the wooden steps cold on her bare feet. A thin metal railing was all that protected her from hurtling over the edge.
She walked toward the kitchen, her stomach rumbling at the thought of food. Great sex, it seemed, made a person quite hungry. She couldn’t help the grin that stretched across her face at the thought. Clay was sure to be famished, too. First, though, coffee. As she walked over to the kitchen, she heard a sound coming from the desk in the corner. She cast a quick glance upstairs, but Clay showed no sign of moving. As she edged closer, her hip accidentally bumped into the side. She winced as the computer screen came to life.
The computer alerted Clay that he had a new e-mail. She looked away, feeling like she was intruding on his personal space. But something else caught her eye. Part of a picture was hanging out of a manila file folder. Curious, she pulled the photo out. Her eyes widened as she stared at herself. She opened the file, and what she saw sucked the air from her lungs. Her fingers rifled through the photos.
Photos of her.
At Café du Monde with Zoë.
Walking down Royal Street.
At Antoine’s with Alex.
Her jaw clenched. The bastard was having her followed. Why? She scooped up the file, shoving the photos back inside.
She was sure as hell going to find out.
* * * *
Clay awoke to something slapping him on the arm. His eyelids fluttered open, his mind still hazy from sleep. Finally, the haze cleared and he was left to stare into the hell he saw in her eyes. And it was pretty clear whom she was aiming it at. Scattered across the bed, lying next to him, were photos of her.
Damn.
He turned over, sitting up against the headboard. “Jade, it’s not what it looks like,” he managed gruffly.
She glared at him, her hand flying to her hips. “So, you’re not having me followed?” she challenged.
He sighed heavily. “Okay, so it is what it looks like,” he conceded. “But not for the reasons you think.”
Shaking her head, she glanced up at the ceiling. At her silence, he continued.
“I was worried about you,” he admitted.
Her eyes glittered as they met his. “So, you had me followed?”
Now it was his turn to look away.
He looked away because he didn’t have an answer. He looked away because he couldn’t bear the betrayal he saw in her eyes.
“I just wanted to make sure
Jade stretched beneath the sheets, a wide smile sliding across her face. Her nipples piqued at the feel of the smooth cotton caressing her naked body. She felt…sated.
For maybe the first time in her life.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t had sex before. She had. But never in all those times had her body felt so well used. She cast a glance at the man who had mastered her body many times throughout the night. He lay on his stomach, his head turned to the side.
She still couldn’t believe how hungry they had been for each other. The club had been nothing more than an appetizer.
In the elevator.
In the kitchen.
On the couch.
That had been the main course.
In all her life, she had never been so reckless, so unbelievably hot for someone. She had always played it safe. Done what was expected. But last night, when she took that whip in her hand, she had experienced a control most only dreamt about.
Clay had given her that.
Turning her head, she stared at him fully. She had known that coming here was a risk, but the last thing she expected to risk was her heart. After last night, one thing was blaringly clear. She was in real danger of falling in love with the one man she’d sworn she would never be with. Her pulse raced at the realization that she was in far too deep.
Being careful not to wake him, she slid out of the bed, grabbing her panties from the floor. She pulled them over her legs before reaching for a white dress shirt that hung on the valet in the corner. Sliding her arms into the sleeves, she turned her face into the collar to breathe in his scent. Tiptoeing, she crept down the stairs, the wooden steps cold on her bare feet. A thin metal railing was all that protected her from hurtling over the edge.
She walked toward the kitchen, her stomach rumbling at the thought of food. Great sex, it seemed, made a person quite hungry. She couldn’t help the grin that stretched across her face at the thought. Clay was sure to be famished, too. First, though, coffee. As she walked over to the kitchen, she heard a sound coming from the desk in the corner. She cast a quick glance upstairs, but Clay showed no sign of moving. As she edged closer, her hip accidentally bumped into the side. She winced as the computer screen came to life.
The computer alerted Clay that he had a new e-mail. She looked away, feeling like she was intruding on his personal space. But something else caught her eye. Part of a picture was hanging out of a manila file folder. Curious, she pulled the photo out. Her eyes widened as she stared at herself. She opened the file, and what she saw sucked the air from her lungs. Her fingers rifled through the photos.
Photos of her.
At Café du Monde with Zoë.
Walking down Royal Street.
At Antoine’s with Alex.
Her jaw clenched. The bastard was having her followed. Why? She scooped up the file, shoving the photos back inside.
She was sure as hell going to find out.
* * * *
Clay awoke to something slapping him on the arm. His eyelids fluttered open, his mind still hazy from sleep. Finally, the haze cleared and he was left to stare into the hell he saw in her eyes. And it was pretty clear whom she was aiming it at. Scattered across the bed, lying next to him, were photos of her.
Damn.
He turned over, sitting up against the headboard. “Jade, it’s not what it looks like,” he managed gruffly.
She glared at him, her hand flying to her hips. “So, you’re not having me followed?” she challenged.
He sighed heavily. “Okay, so it is what it looks like,” he conceded. “But not for the reasons you think.”
Shaking her head, she glanced up at the ceiling. At her silence, he continued.
“I was worried about you,” he admitted.
Her eyes glittered as they met his. “So, you had me followed?”
Now it was his turn to look away.
He looked away because he didn’t have an answer. He looked away because he couldn’t bear the betrayal he saw in her eyes.
“I just wanted to make sure
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