Serving the Mogul, page 20
He pushed deep, withdrew, then surged forward, already knowing my limits from previous encounters.
He groaned and muttered my name. His penis jerked in my mouth. I scraped my teeth over the thick vein on the underside and sucked harder.
“Fuck,” he snarled.
Then he hauled me off and yanked me to my feet.
“James!”
“Be quiet,” he said, voice rough as he spun me around, so I once more faced the railing.
Overhead, a fountain of color exploded as the fireworks display began.
James nudged me forward until I was braced over the stone support, just as I had been earlier. He spanked me. Hard. I jerked and cried out, my spine arching at the unexpected discipline.
“Thighs together,” he said, growling in my ear. “I told you that earlier.”
Whimpering, I replied, “Yes, sir.”
He gripped my hips, and then I felt the head of his cock pressing against me. Hips jerking forward in response, I moaned. He spanked me again. “Be still. You’re my little fuck-toy tonight, my obedient little submissive, and if you want to come, you’ll be still.”
His rough order, his harsh voice, flooded my brain with delirious desire. Or maybe it was the fireworks? Both? I had no idea.
“Yes, master.”
James wrapped his arm around my waist to ease the pressure just enough.
His cock swelled, then pulsed inside me while more explosions of brilliant red and shimmery white erupted overhead.
I whimpered, my knees instinctively tightening in response to the sensual pleasure that pulse sent through me.
He bit my ear, then nuzzled me. “What did you say, Pet?”
“Master. Please…master…” I moaned, shivering now as his cock continued to pulse and throb inside me, teasing me until it was almost torture. “Make me your toy. Punish me. Fuck me. I want to please you.”
He shuddered.
“You do.”
James gripped my hips and, with no comment or teasing, drove in hard. I bit my lip to keep from crying out, grabbing at the stone under my hands.
“You feel so fucking tight like this,” he muttered, his voice guttural.
He spanked me, and kept thrusting, riding me hard until he pulled a second orgasm from me.
His low growl came just as the fireworks finale turned the sky into one dazzling display of red, white, and blue, his cock jerking as he came. Only his supporting hands kept me from collapsing right there.
Thirty-Six
Maximus
I woke up with Tina’s hair tickling my chin and her arm wrapped possessively around my waist. Her breasts felt soft on my skin, and I realized I was smiling.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d woken up smiling.
Stroking my hand up her back, I toyed with the ends of her hair, just enjoying the moment.
“You think soooo loud sometimes,” Tina mumbled.
Her voice caught me off-guard. Turning my head, I kissed her brow. “Sorry. Did I wake you?”
“No.” She yawned. “I’m a morning person most days, anyway. What time is it?”
I looked at the clock on the nightstand. “Late for a morning person. Almost ten.”
That got her attention. She pushed up onto her elbow, hair rumpled and eyes still heavy with sleep. “Really?”
I pointed at the clock.
“Huh.” Then she gave me a slow smile. “Somebody kept me up pretty late.”
“Wonder who?” I tugged her down and kissed her.
Before I could roll over and take things any farther, she pushed me away. “Sorry…bathroom.”
I let her go reluctantly and sat up. My phone chimed, and I picked it just as the bathroom door closed shut behind her. I saw several texts, most from my family. I groaned, remembering the family picnic was today, and I’d stupidly agreed to go this year.
Gianni: Did you ask her?
Zoey: Hey, I like your girl. Ask her to the picnic!
Dragging a hand down my face, I considered the idea. Gianni had been nagging me all week, and Zoey had hinted at it. I’d been noncommittal.
Tina slipped out of the door behind me, buttoning my dress shirt from the previous night. I cocked a brow at her. “Stealing my clothes?”
She stuck her tongue out at me. “You fled with me and wouldn’t let me return home to get spare clothes. It’s only fair. Formal gowns aren’t exactly comfy to sleep in or lounge around in.”
“Since I’ve never worn one, I submit to your superior knowledge.” I glanced at my phone once more, eyed the message from Zoey, then looked at Tina. “Are you doing anything today?”
As she dropped into a nearby armchair, she shrugged. “I was hoping you would order room service for us. I’m starving. Besides that, I have no other plans.”
“I guess I can feed you since I fled with you.” I searched for a menu. “If you want to order two breakfasts—just whatever you’re in the mood for—I’ll feed you.”
I leaned back onto my elbows as I watched her think. Her expressive face was one I could see myself watching, with pleasure, for years to come.
I wondered where that thought had come from, even as I was thinking it.
Years?
I didn’t do years with relationships.
“You want to go to a family picnic with me?”
Her head jerked up, eyes locking on mine. “What?”
“A family picnic. Gianni mentioned it, and I thought you might have fun.” Keeping my voice casual, I added, “I already agreed to go, so I can’t back out. But if you’re there, it won’t be so bad.”
“You make it sound like you’re walking the plank.”
“Big family things aren’t my style.” I grimaced. “And considering how many siblings I have, all family events are a big thing.”
She cocked a brow.
But I didn’t elaborate.
After a few more seconds of study, Tina’s lips curved. “I’d love to go.”
“You weren’t kidding….”
Tina sounded a bit overwhelmed after Scot left us to grab another beer.
We found some chairs, and I waited for her to take a seat before I asked, “About?”
“What you said this morning—how every family gathering is a big deal.” She looked out over the sea of people gathered on my father’s huge, park-like lawn.
So far, she’d only met the twins, Rosie and Sienna, and their older brother, Parker, plus Scot. She already knew Zoey and Gianni, but I figured I’d give her a break before introducing her to anybody else just yet. Sometimes, even I got overwhelmed, and I’d known most of these people for twenty years now.
“They can be intimidating,” I said softly.
“They’ve all been nice.” Tina offered a smile as she tucked her hair back. “It’s just….”
She waved a hand at the crowd. “There’s so many. How does your dad keep everybody straight? Birthdays? And…”
I didn’t bother hiding a smile. “It’s okay, Tina. My father, Connor Maximus, is married to his fifth wife. He’s had many affairs—I’m the product of one of them.”
Her gaze fell away.
I took her hand, lifted it to my lips.
Her eyes slowly returned to mine. “Do you…are you two close?”
“No.” I lowered her hand but didn’t let go. “My mom was a waitress. She met Connor, and they had an affair, but it ended long before she knew she was pregnant. Money was tight for mom. She worked two jobs most of the time I was growing up. I knew nothing about my dad—she never told me. Then she was diagnosed with cancer—it had already progressed pretty far, and she passed away within a month. A social worker pulled my birth certificate, found the father listed, and contacted him. Connor, who was out of the country, dropped everything when he heard about me.” I glanced toward the terrace where my father sat listening to Rosie and felt reluctant respect for him. “He remembered my mother, but knew nothing about me because she never contacted him. Fortunately, he found me before I could spend a single day in the system.”
“James, I am so sorry.”
Looking up, I found Tina watching with shimmering eyes, tears that she blinked back the moment our gazes locked. “Hey…”
She turned her head and brushed her fingers across her eyes. “Ignore me. I’m fine.”
Instead, I pulled her onto my lap.
She squeaked and shoved at my shoulders. “James! People are going to see us!”
“And if they do?” I slid my arms around her waist and rested my head against the back of the chair. Nobody had asked questions about Tina. If they did, I would not tell them anything. Our relationship—and it felt like a relationship—was nobody’s business.
Tina huffed out a breath but settled against me.
“You’re angry with him.”
I didn’t ask who she meant. I didn’t have to.
As I glanced at my father again, I gave a one-sided shrug. “Not so much now, but yeah. I couldn’t even look at him at first. All my life, I had resented my father for leaving my mother and me to fend for ourselves. But…” Sighing, I closed my eyes, head once more falling against the padded cushions covering the Adirondack chair.
“You said he didn’t even know about you. That makes me think your mom never told him.”
I opened my eyes and met her. “She didn’t.”
“So, it wasn’t exactly his fault. I mean, yeah, he could have followed up, but…your mom could have told him. It’s obvious how much he loves all of you.” Tina’s lips pursed as she took everything in and added, “Although I’m not sure how he can keep everybody straight.”
I laughed and tugged her close. Just as I went to kiss her, though, a voice called out.
“I’ll be damned. James brought a woman to a family event.”
Sighing, I looked over and saw yet another sibling—a step-sibling, to be exact, then squeezed Tina’s thigh. “Ready to meet another one?”
Her lips curved. “Absolutely.”
She went to stand, but I held on to her waist just as Damen Workman dropped into the chair Tina had left empty. “Damen, this is Tina. Tina, this is Damen, one of my step-brothers.”
“Hi, Damen.”
He nodded at her. “Hello.”
As he turned curious eyes to me, I held up a hand. “I’ve already dealt with the inquisition from others. Don’t be nosy.”
“Don’t be nosy,” Damen said, almost as if to himself. “My brother brings a woman to a family event—for the first time, but I can’t be nosy.”
I rolled my eyes. “Did Laz come?”
“Hell, no.” He huffed out a breath and stretched his legs in front of him as he settled more comfortably into the chair, resting the beer he had in his hand on the broad wooden arm. “You know that guy. He can’t pull himself out of his work long enough to shower more than three or four times a week. He sure as hell will not do it long enough to hop on a plane and go visit family.”
“Sounds like Laz.”
“I just wanted to tell you I like her.” Zoey leaned against the counter, her hands resting on the edge. “Tina is gorgeous—man, those legs. I’d kill for legs like that. But she also isn’t somebody who’ll put up with your bullshit, either.”
I agreed with her about the legs, although I kept that quiet.
Out loud, I said, “We’re just friends, okay?”
“Uh-huh.” Zoey rolled her eyes. “Go on and tell yourself that if it makes you feel better. But you have never asked me to make one of your girlfriends a dress before. I’m glad she liked it, though.”
“We both did.” Memories of the minutes we’d spent in the rooftop garden while the fireworks exploded overhead threatened to distract me, but I gently nudged them aside. “Tina loved it. She mentioned it more than once.”
“She was an inspiration to design and dress, built like an Amazon with stunning curves, strength, and grace. But you haven’t told me why you hired me to make her such an expensive gown. If it’s not because she’s special to you, then what is it?”
“We’re just friends, honestly. Tina has a promising interior design business, however, she’s still trying to establish it, and her funds are limited. I didn’t want her to feel like she had to buy a dress just because I invited her to the gala, but I wanted her to wear something nice.”
Zoey’s smile spread over her face. “I’ve already said it once, but it was my pleasure to do the dress for her. She rocked the hell out of it, too.”
“Yeah.” When she first stepped out on the porch, the shimmering blue caressed her curves like a lover. “She did, didn’t she?”
“So, just friends, though. Uh-huh.” Zoey gave me a sarcastic look.
“You’re a brat,” I told her.
“Guilty as charged.” She spread her arms wide and gave a playful bow.
“I should go look for Tina,” I said, making my tone brisk.
“Zoey, I am grateful to you for designing the dress for her. Her outfit was stylish and very appropriate for such an important event. It was one less thing I had to worry about. I can’t imagine Tina would ever have owned an outfit like th––…what’s the matter?”
Zoey’s eyes widened, and this time, there wasn’t any humor in the warm brown depths, just panic. And a warning.
I glanced back and saw Tina.
Her face was pale, expression blank. Save for her eyes.
The look in her eyes was…bleak, sad, and hurt.
What the fuck?
“Tina?” I asked, taking a step toward her.
She turned and strode away, tension showing in every line of her body, from the stiff set of her shoulders to her long strides.
“Tina!” I called after her.
She flinched and shook her head, moving faster now.
Hesitating, I looked back at Zoey.
She only glared.
I was used to that, always pissing off one of my brothers or sisters.
But Tina…
I started down the hall, only to stop because I had no idea where she’d gone. Deeper into the house? Out to the patio?
Bewildered, I turned to Zoey, who had moved to stand next to me. “What was that about?”
“Seriously?”
As she spoke, I stared at her incredulously.
“What?” I demanded.
“You’re asking what that was about?” She closed her eyes and lifted her face toward the ceiling as if asking for patience. It didn’t work. A few seconds later, she was just as irritated as she had been earlier. “Think, James! Your new girlfriend, who is struggling to keep her business open, just walked up and overheard the worst part of the conversation.”
“Which was?” I turned the conversation over in my head, but I couldn’t think of anything that would cause problems.
Thanks, Zoey. I am grateful to you for designing the dress for her. It was one less thing for me to worry about.
What was wrong with that?
Maybe I’d mentioned her struggling business, but that was stating a fact. Tina was too logical to be upset over a simple statement.
“You are such a guy,” Zoey said, aggravation in her voice. “You made it sound like you had to help her look nice for the event last night, James. How do you think that made her feel?”
“I didn’t say that.” My voice snapped. “It was a formal event, and she’s still scraping by. Do you think she had a formal designer gown hanging around?”
“You don’t need a designer gown to clean up just fine for a formal event.” Zoey rolled her eyes. Arms crossed over her chest; she glared at me. “And you, you big lunkhead, jabbed at her pride. You better fix it.”
“Enough.” The word came out short. “You’re blowing this way out of proportion.”
Her eyes searched mine, and she huffed out a breath. “Be stupid, then.”
As she sailed past me, my phone vibrated. I ignored it. I needed to find Tina—and not because I had to prove Zoey wrong.
I started toward the library, checking each room on the way.
Tina wasn’t in any of them.
By the time I headed to the patio hoping to find her there, I was pissed. Two of my siblings started toward me, only to catch sight of me and stop.
Gianni just arched her brows and turned away.
Scot angled his head to the side. “What’s up?”
“Nothing,” I bit off. “Everything’s fine.”
Everything wasn’t fine, but I didn’t have time to explain.
I took a step to walk past him, then stopped. “Have you seen Tina?”
“Not since the two of you headed inside a little ago.”
With a muttered thanks, I cut a wide path around the lower level of the deck. The family was there, gathering in small groups or lined up to serve themselves from the feast that awaited. Tina was nowhere to be found.
I remembered the rush that went through me when I first saw Tina in that dress. To say she was stunning would be putting it mildly. Zoey’s words came back to haunt me. You jabbed at her pride.
“Horseshit,” I muttered. Tina knew I thought she was gorgeous. I’d sure as hell told her that plenty of times.
Frustrated, I headed to my car. The possibilities of where I might look had run out.
My phone chirped out a notification as my FIAT Spider came into view. Tina’s name appeared on the screen, and I stopped in the middle of the path to open the message.
I had to read it twice before it made sense.
“The fuck?” I scowled and read it a third time.
Tina: Called a cab. Heading home.
That was it.
I stared at the screen, willing another message to come through, but nothing happened.
I turned on my heel and strode back to the house, where I came across Zoey on her way out through the patio door.
The expression on my face made her huff out a breath. “What’s the problem now?”
“What the fuck is this?” I shoved the phone at her.
She skimmed it and held the phone back out. With a pretty, dimpled smile, she replied. “This, my dear brother, is a text. I’m surprised you haven’t learned about them yet.”
“No, smart-ass.” I snatched the phone from her hand, clenching it in my fist as my mind raced over what had happened in the last twenty minutes.
