I felt his presence recede a little, heard him take a swallow of his beer. I faced away and stared out the window. It was a constant effort to not turn around, yet for some reason, it was an effort I continued to make.“All that is understandable.” He paused to drink. “Why you? Let’s just say for now that…I’ve got my reasons. I chose you because I want you. I know that doesn’t really help much, but it’s all I’m willing to say at the moment. So besides that, what could I do to alleviate some of your fears?”I tapped my fingernail against the bottle. “I don’t know. A name? A nickname? Something for me to call you? It doesn’t have to be your real name, just…something.”“Hmmm. That is a reasonable request, I suppose.” A deep breath. “You may call me…Lucas.”“Lucas?”“Yes. Lucas. It is…one of my names.”“You have more than one?”He laughed. “Of course. Don’t you? Freya Anderson Lomie. One could. It is a truth I’m giving you, and for a man as…reclusively private as I am, that is no small gi
“Such thin cotton…” he murmured, his voice rough with suggestion. “I could rip it apart so easily. Have you bared to me, just that easily. I could kiss you…everywhere.”I put my hand on his, between his fists, keeping my shirt down. “Lucas…don’t….”“No?” I felt his hands stretch apart, felt the cotton starting to give. “You’re still scared? Don’t you want to feel my lips on your skin? I know you do. You want it. You’re afraid to want it. You’re afraid to give in to me. But you want to, just as much. Have you ever really given yourself to a man before? I don’t think you have. And certainly never to a man like me.”“A man….” I swallowed hard, fighting for words. He had my brain spiraling, my body shuddering, my blood thundering, my common sense eroding, and my senses humming. “A man like you?”“Yes, Freya. A man like me.” Another tug of his fists, and I heard a distinct rip. “A man who knows exactly what he wants, and exactly how to get it.”“And…and what do you want?” I was trying so ha
" Miss Lomie Come in, please.” My boss, Mr Trevor, waved a hand at the two chairs facing his desk. “Have a seat, Freya” He said, not bothering to look me in the eye as we both sat in silence, my heart was beating fast as I sat in front of Mr Trevor, I had seen that look before, when Ava was taken off the work list, I was fortunate to be in Mr Trevor's office, giving him details about his schedule for the week.Few weeks later I learnt why Ava was taken out of the office list, she refused to give in to Mr Trevor, in return he had her fired, and I took over the position, he never tried such attempt with me, but sitting in his office, I could not describe what I was feeling, fear? Anticipation? Adrenaline? I don't know.“Mr Trevor, what is the issue?" I asked, not liking the silence in the office.He slid into his modern black leather desk chair and then unbuttoned his suit coat, He tugged at the cuffs of his pressed white button-down shirt, cleared his throat. “Well, Miss Lomie, I’ll cu
I felt him press up against me, felt the evidence of what he wanted from me. And, I won’t lie, the thought crossed my mind. Once. Very, very briefly. I needed this job. I was already two months behind on rent, three months behind on my electric bill, barely keeping up with my tuition and my brother’s, plus the ever-mounting costs of caring for Mama. I could do what this douche knob wanted, and keep my job. It wouldn’t take long. A few unpleasant minutes, if that long. He was old, past sixty, I’d guess. Fit enough for his age, but by no means virile.But…no matter how desperate I might be, that would never happen. Not like this. Not with this guy. If he was hot, and I wanted to, maybe. It would be one thing if this were a kick-ass job that really paid the bills. But it was a temp job. Hourly, and a shitty hourly rate at that. Barely enough to cover one bill, much less all the bills I had to pay.I turned, letting him hold on to my wrist. For the moment. I lifted my eyes to his, putting
I stuffed my things into my purse and walked with as much dignity as I possessed toward the bank of elevators, hiding my mirth as I saw Mr. Trevor being escorted out by security. His pants were buttoned, but not zipped, and his once-impeccable suit was spattered with blood. Two more security staff members were going from cubicle to cubicle, looking for me, I supposed.I took the stairs and exited the building.Since my temp agency never had any parking spots available, I caught the bus over to their offices, hoping I’d be able to find another job right away.My contact, Christiana, tapped on her computer for several minutes, then turned to me with a slight frown. “I’m sorry, Freya, but we just don’t have anything else right now.”“He sexually assaulted me, Christiana.”Christian let out a long breath. “I understand that, Freya, and he will be dealt with accordingly, but that doesn’t change the fact that I don’t have any work available at the moment.”I tried to keep breathing. “Can yo
I took a deep breath, put the check face down on my lap, and blinked several times. Hard. Okay, look again. Yep. It said, Pay to the order of Freya Lomie, in the amount of twenty thousand dollars and zero cents. At the top left of the check was the payer: Trn, Inc.And there, in the bottom left-hand corner, on the single line opposite the illegible signature, was a single word. YOU. All caps, all in the same bold, neat script that appeared on the envelope. I examined the signature again, but it was little more than a squiggly black line, but there was no way to be sure. I guess that would make sense, given the fact that the payer was TRN Incorporated. But that didn’t tell me much.No note, nothing in the envelope except the check. For twenty thousand dollars.What the hell was I supposed to do? Cash it? Twenty thousand dollars would pay current rent due, as well as the past due amount; it would get the electricity turned back on after paying what I owed them…twenty thousand dollars wo
At Kelly's apartment, I kicked off my shoes and accepted the Bud Light she handed me. Kelly was half-black, half-Italian, all attitude and curves. Long black hair, dark brown eyes, and flawless mocha skin. We had been best friends since the first day of college, roommates for two years, until she met Tom and got serious enough to move in with him.I sat back on her ratty couch, drained half of my beer, and then handed Kelly the envelope. Or, as I thought of it, The Envelope. “I got this in the mail today. Just like that. Out of the blue. Open it.”She frowned at me, then examined the outside. “Nice handwriting.”“I know. But look inside. And…maybe sit down.” I took another long pull of my beer.Kelly perched her butt on the arm of the couch beside me and withdrew the check. “Holy shit!” She looked at me, her eyes wide. “Frey, this is twenty thousand dollars. You know what you could do with this?”“Yeah. I do. But…where did it come from? Who sent it? Why? And more importantly…do I dare
Here.” I folded her fingers over the edge. “I know you need it.”She stared at me. “Um. No.”I nodded. “Um, yes. You didn’t think I wouldn’t share with my best friend, did you?”“Freya. You can’t give this to me. You need it.”I smiled at her. “You do, too. I have enough now. You’re not just my bestie, Kelly. You’re…you’re like family. So just take it and say thank you.”She sniffled. “You’re gonna make me smear my mascara, hookerface.” Kelly took a deep breath, blinked, and visibly forced away the tears. “Thank you, freya. You know I love you, right?”It was a big deal for her to say that. She had grown up in a tough household. No abuse, just cold and closed off, not the kind of family that exchanged declarations of love on a regular basis. I knew she loved Tom, but I’d never heard her say it.I was very much the same, growing up in a stable and happy home, but not one where everyone was given to frequent hugs or I-love-you’s. Kelly and I had been best friends for more than five year
“Such thin cotton…” he murmured, his voice rough with suggestion. “I could rip it apart so easily. Have you bared to me, just that easily. I could kiss you…everywhere.”I put my hand on his, between his fists, keeping my shirt down. “Lucas…don’t….”“No?” I felt his hands stretch apart, felt the cotton starting to give. “You’re still scared? Don’t you want to feel my lips on your skin? I know you do. You want it. You’re afraid to want it. You’re afraid to give in to me. But you want to, just as much. Have you ever really given yourself to a man before? I don’t think you have. And certainly never to a man like me.”“A man….” I swallowed hard, fighting for words. He had my brain spiraling, my body shuddering, my blood thundering, my common sense eroding, and my senses humming. “A man like you?”“Yes, Freya. A man like me.” Another tug of his fists, and I heard a distinct rip. “A man who knows exactly what he wants, and exactly how to get it.”“And…and what do you want?” I was trying so ha
I felt his presence recede a little, heard him take a swallow of his beer. I faced away and stared out the window. It was a constant effort to not turn around, yet for some reason, it was an effort I continued to make.“All that is understandable.” He paused to drink. “Why you? Let’s just say for now that…I’ve got my reasons. I chose you because I want you. I know that doesn’t really help much, but it’s all I’m willing to say at the moment. So besides that, what could I do to alleviate some of your fears?”I tapped my fingernail against the bottle. “I don’t know. A name? A nickname? Something for me to call you? It doesn’t have to be your real name, just…something.”“Hmmm. That is a reasonable request, I suppose.” A deep breath. “You may call me…Lucas.”“Lucas?”“Yes. Lucas. It is…one of my names.”“You have more than one?”He laughed. “Of course. Don’t you? Freya Anderson Lomie. One could. It is a truth I’m giving you, and for a man as…reclusively private as I am, that is no small gi
“This is all so…much,” I heard myself admit. “So different. So strange. So scary. I don’t know what’s happening to me. You—you do something to me. Just by—I don’t even know—without trying. Like you know all my switches and buttons. But you couldn’t. You couldn’t possibly know what makes me tick this well. No amount of stalking, watching me from a distance, could tell you what turns me on.”“Yes, you’re right.” His voice, coming from so close, from his chest, from above my head…was loud, pure energy and vibration. “I told you, Kyrie. I can read you like a book. You’re scared, but you want this. You hate the fact that I affect you so much, but you like it in equal measure. The fear makes it that much more exciting.”Glass touched wood, and then he took my bottle and set it down as well on the table behind us. His hands slid down my arms. His body towered behind me. His breath blew on my neck.“Eyes closed, Freya"“They are,” I told him.“Good.” A brief pause. “Do you trust me?”“I’m try
“I won’t.” The room behind us was dark, so there was no reflection of him in the window. An admission burbled up and out; I had to know what he would do. This was my test for him. “I peeked, earlier. You were going around the corner. You’re really tall, and you have blond hair.”There was a long, significant hesitation before he responded. “Why did you tell me? I wouldn’t have ever known.”I shrugged, swallowed a mouthful of beer. “I don’t know.” A lie, but I couldn’t very well tell him my real reason for spilling the truth.“Hmmm.” I heard liquid glug in a bottle neck, and deduced he was drinking beer as well. “You shouldn’t have peeked, freya”know. I’m sorry.” Strangely, it was a genuine apology.Why did it matter? I couldn’t answer that question, except to say that it did. There was no point in denying his effect on me, no point in denying that I wanted his approval, his trust. What was it about him that created this reaction in me?He was standing far enough behind me that we wer
No, give me a guy who’s in decent shape, who can hold an interesting conversation any day of the week. Give me a guy who can show me a good time without having to flex his muscles six times a minute, just to make sure they’re still there. I would want to say, Yes, buddy, you’ve still got your muscles. They didn’t go away in the last five minutes. And, no, I’m still not impressed by how much you can bench. Can you carry me to bed? Can you last long enough to make me come? Those are the important things. Get me to bed, get me off. If you can manage those things, I’ll be impressed.This was why, at twenty-six, I was still single. Most guys didn’t pass the first-date test, much less the long-term test of holding my interest for more than a month. SportsmoviesIworkOUTlookatmymusclesI’msobuff. Shut up, I DO NOT CARE. Use the muscle in your skull, and then the one in your pants. Impress me with your vocabulary, and then your sexual attentiveness. See, that was the other thing. I didn’t reall
I closed the door, leaning forward to let my forehead rest against the wood.What was I doing? I kissed him. Twice. A man I knew literally nothing about. Yet I couldn’t deny that they were by far the best kisses of my life.And…I wanted more.TESTSI thought sleep would come instantly to me. I’d started the day at home in Michigan, living life as usual. Within a matter of hours, my life had been totally changed. Now I was in Manhattan, locked away in a tower like fucking Rapunzel. Only, I could leave whenever I wanted. The only thing holding me here was my own stubbornness, my curiosity, my need to make sure the only family I had left was taken care of. I smiled to myself. I might be blonde, but my hair wasn’t that long. So I wasn’t like Rapunzel at all, except for being in a tower. And there were many towers in those old fairy tales.Was this a fairy tale? If it was, I sure as shit wasn’t any princess. My…captor? My provider? What was he? A prince? He could be. Maybe he was some kind
“I almost wish I hadn’t,” I said. “But I did, and…thank you. For protecting me from him.”“Of course. I couldn’t sit by and allow him to hurt you.”“So…that goes a long way toward helping me trust you. But…it’s not that easy. Not for me. I don’t…I can’t just decide to trust someone. It takes time. Effort.”“And that is why the blindfold must remain.” One finger touched my chin, tilting my face up. “Kiss me.” It was a command.“Ask me.”“No.”“Then, no.”“You’re not grasping the arrangement, it seems.”“I don’t do commands very well.”“And I don’t repeat myself.” His voice grew sharp. “But, just this once, for you, I will. You want to know what I want? What this is about? It’s about trust. Obedience. Compliance. You obey, I learn to trust you. If I trust you, I will give you my name and allow you to see me. Then I’ll allow things to go further. If I don’t trust you, this will take much longer, and be much harder.”“You said you wouldn’t force me to do anything I didn’t want to.”I hear
“That’s why.”“Oh.”“Yes. Oh.” He gave my cheekbone one last graze with his thumb, and then I heard a utensil scrape against a plate. “Open.”At his command my mouth opened of its own accord. A fork touched my lips and tongue, and I tasted metal, and then salmon, light and flaky and perfectly flavored with herbs. He took a bite, and then told me to open again, feeding me potatoes, thick and strong with garlic, and then green beans, buttery and crisp. It was the perfect meal, filling and balanced and bursting with flavor, and even the oddity of being blindfolded and fed like an invalid faded.The maid brought dessert the moment we had finished the main course. It was a crème brûlée, creamy and sweet and thick.“You weren’t kidding,” I said. “rebecca is an amazing chef.”“I chose her out of a thousand candidates. I spent nearly a year vetting each individual applicant. I only interviewed four of them, and she, obviously, is the one I chose. She is a miracle worker, truly.”"thousand can
“I don’t think you would.” His voice was close, his breath hot on my ear, speaking just above a whisper.“You feel it, Freya, If I kissed you right now, I do think you might faint. You’re barely breathing as it is.”“I’m breathing just fine,” I lied. “Would you? Let me go home right now?”“No, I don’t think I would.”“Why not?” These two words slipped, breathless, from my lips.His breath moved, warming my ear, then my cheek, and then, oh god—I felt his lips on my skin, mere centimeters from my mouth. “This is why.” As close as our faces were, I still barely heard him.My heart was pounding, hammering, thudding in my chest, sending blood pulsing in my ears. My skin was tingling, my hands shaking. Nerves, anticipation…fear? Parsing what I felt was impossible. I only knew I dreaded and needed in equal measure the feel of his lips on mine. So close. Yes. There, please. A kiss, a single kiss.I’d only known this man for a matter of perhaps two hours, yet his lips were grazing mine, and he