Bound (Forbidden #1)(24)
Author: Melody Anne

“If you’re letting it go so well, then explain this escort person you hired.”

“I don’t know what in the hell is going on with Jewell. Call it temporary weakness, but that weakness just ended.” Blake had a look of grim determination. “I will use her for sex and then easily ship her off after the week is over.”

“We’ll see,” Tyler said with a smirk that made Blake want to crush his brother against a wall with a bulldozer.

“Look. I don’t need this woman for anything more than sex. So what if she hasn’t been with another man before me? I don’t give a damn. She’ll certainly be with a lot of men after me, a lot of men paying good money for her.”

“That is probably the only truth you’ve spoken about her…and yourself,” Tyler said. He sounded as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“Thanks for all the helpful words of advice, little brother,” Blake snapped.

Tyler’s grin widened. “You know I’ll be there for you anytime.”

Blake didn’t bother to respond. He didn’t know why he’d come to Tyler, why he’d felt the need to share, but it seemed that whenever the brothers had a problem, they always ended up on each other’s doorsteps. It would be that way for life.

He left Tyler’s house, got into his car, and made his way to the office building. Work was good. It was what he needed. He wouldn’t think about his parents, wouldn’t think about Jewell Weston, wouldn’t think about any of it. He would clear his mind and focus on numbers.

It’s what he’d done in the past, and it had always worked.

Why in the hell wasn’t it working now?

Chapter Fifteen

The smell of musk and spice drifted pleasantly across the pillow and into Jewell’s sleep-fogged brain. She inhaled, wondering where she’d smelled that before.

Then her eyes flew open and she twisted her head to look around, her body stiffening until she realized she was alone. The night before came flooding back to her, and her faced flushed when she realized what she’d done.

Okay, she’d known she was going to “do it,” and it had been out-of-this-world great, but she wasn’t supposed to feel that way. She was supposed to be doing this for one reason, and that reason wasn’t for herself.

Still, she couldn’t keep her eyes from closing in soft remembrance as she thought back over last night. After falling asleep, or, more accurately, passing out, she hadn’t even noticed when Blake had carried her to another bed. Sometime in the night, she’d woken to find his head buried between her sore thighs and it hadn’t taken him long to send her spiraling into another mind-blowing orgasm.

When he then moved up the bed and brushed her lips with his incredibly hard arousal, she hadn’t hesitated to open to him. She’d taken his velvet skin into her mouth and sucked him until he’d released his pleasure onto her greedy tongue.

They hadn’t spoken, hadn’t acknowledged the power of their night. He’d simply pulled her back into his arms and she’d fallen blissfully back asleep. Now, as she sat up in what had to be his bed, she wondered what was happening. Hadn’t he told her when she’d first arrived that she wasn’t allowed in his room?

She had no idea what she was supposed to do next. The story of her recent life. This short time with Blake Knight was a constant up and down, and yet she wasn’t miserable being with him. Was it because he kept throwing her so off balance?

She had five more nights with him. After that, she’d go back to Relinquish Control, and the muddle her brain had become would get straightened out. That was good. It was what she needed.

Finally getting up, she walked to his bathroom and gasped at the large sunken tub and a glass-enclosed shower big enough for at least six people. Oh, her mouth watered at even the thought of using either one, but she didn’t want to risk his wrath. Granted, he’d brought her into his bedroom himself, but she was sure he’d want her to leave right away and not take advantage of the super-fancy facilities there.

Grabbing a thick robe she found hanging on the wall, she wrapped her petite body in it and returned to his bedroom. She cracked the door to the hall open and looked both ways. No one else had been in his apartment the day before, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be someone today, and she really didn’t want to meet anyone for the first time while doing the walk of shame from Blake’s room in his too-big bathrobe.

The coast was clear, so she snuck down the hall, entered her own temporary room, and headed straight to her bathroom. Climbing into her shower — it was large, but nothing like Blake’s — she stood beneath the hot spray for several minutes without moving, welcoming the relief to her stiff muscles.

She’d used muscles she didn’t even know existed last night, and she suspected she’d continue to be sore for a few days. That was a real bummer. After all, she’d be with Blake for the next five days, and he probably wasn’t going to give her much time to rest.

She’d power her way through it, though, maybe go searching for a hot tub. A place this large and grand would have to have one, wouldn’t it? If not, she’d soak for hours in the tub in her bathroom. She wouldn’t be very good to him later that night if she couldn’t even bend.

When she felt a bit better, she turned off the shower and went back into her room. That’s when she noticed a bag sitting on her bed. Damn! No doubt Blake wanted her to wear some skimpy little outfit again for his own pleasure while he checked in on her any time he wanted with his house cameras.

Maybe if she didn’t open the bag, she could pretend ignorance. That sounded liked a fantastic idea to her. So she walked to her large closet and dressed in the most comfortable clothes she could find — though she’d hardly call them comfortable. The shorts barely covered her behind, and the sheer top showed a lot more than it hid. But at least she wouldn’t get overheated. That was always a bonus.

When she reached the kitchen and found her phone on the counter, several messages showed on the screen. Could she pretend she hadn’t seen them as well? As a new message beeped in, she knew that wasn’t going to be possible.

So she picked it up reluctantly, unlocked the screen, and opened her inbox.

You appeared to sleep well. Make sure you are well rested for tonight.

I want you to take a long soak in the tub in my room. I’ve had special bath salts delivered that will help ease your soreness. Spend at least an hour in the hot water.