Billionaire Blaze, page 17
“But you let him leave with it,” I replied, not sure why he sounded so irritated by this. There was soon a smile on his face, and I realized that he had been mock-annoyed. It seemed he was fine with Henry taking his car.
Lukas shifted so he could see me better. “There aren’t many perks to being someone’s PA. Henry getting to borrow my cars is a way to thank him in a language he appreciates.”
It was yet another sign that I was sitting beside a good man. Someone who thought of others, wasn’t so precious over his belongings or the behavior of those around him that he had to be in control all the time, yet he was still clearly in charge. When he wanted something to happen, it happened.
Like taking me wherever he wanted. A shiver ran up my spine as I remembered what he had just done to me. It had been one of the hottest moments of my life. I would never have dreamed of being taken into a restroom and screwed, but it had been hot and Lukas had been in control the entire time. His confidence had stopped me from worrying about it and kept me enjoying every second.
I didn’t doubt that more would follow. We were going back to his apartment. Lukas also hadn’t stopped looking at me, his eyes roaming and his arm still holding me close. He smelled good, even after we had been so active. Like sandalwood and spices.
It was warm cuddled up against him. It had grown dark while we had been in the restaurant, and the sun had taken the warmth with it. I had a jacket, but it wasn’t quite enough when it was late.
Close to Lukas like this, I didn’t mind, however. And even more so when he kissed me again. His lips found mine, somehow both soft and hard, yielding just enough that I felt as if we fit together and moved around each other but firm enough that I knew I had been kissed and could feel every bit of desire and passion he felt.
It was easy to melt into his arms, giving in to the heat and passion I also felt. I wanted him, his hands on me, the way it felt when my skin touched his.
Our first night together had been heavenly, so I’d been wondering what I had done wrong. It seemed that it had been nothing but a misunderstanding. If Lukas wanted to take me home, I didn’t think I could object.
Despite the fire between us and how quickly our kiss grew more eager, Lukas pulled away. He ran a hand through his hair as he pulled back a little.
“You’re even more addictive than I expected,” he said. I wasn’t entirely sure it was a compliment, but he came in a little closer and wrapped his arms even tighter around me. “I really want you, Kit.”
“I want you as well,” I replied, flushing yet again. It irritated me that I showed embarrassment so easily. I wanted to be normal, not a wreck, but Lukas smiled at me.
“You are adorable when you get those red cheeks, and it brings out a part of me that I didn’t think would come back. Can I tell you something about me in confidence and ask if you’d at least consider the option?” Lukas sounded almost hesitant for the first time since I had met him.
No part of me hesitated in nodding. Whatever he wanted to tell me, I would listen.
“I’m a dominant. I’m not aggressive, but I like to be in control. I think you’re naturally a submissive. If you’ll consider it, I’d like a chance to earn your trust as a submissive and...” He trailed off, frowning.
“You want to earn my trust?” I asked, surprised by the choice of words.
“Yes! Very much so. To me, a good dominant is someone who can be trusted, not with what is good for them, but that they will care for, protect, and cherish their submissive. It takes a lot of hard work, a lot of restraint, and it can only be earned. The trust is what I want. Not to control, but to be trusted to take care. Not to possess, but to be honored to be responsible for…for you.”
The passion he spoke with blew me away. I had never considered anything remotely different from a standard relationship, but there was something about the way he spoke of it. It clearly meant a lot to him, and I couldn’t deny that there was an element of what he was asking for that appealed to me.
“What does that mean in practical terms?” I asked, wanting to understand and hopefully show him I was listening and open to exploring the idea. It wasn’t as if he was demanding I do anything right now. He said he wanted to earn my trust to go in this direction. Trust took time.
Lukas tilted his head to the side as if considering his response. “It is little things to begin with. When I lifted your hands earlier and kept them out of the way, I took control in a way. You trusted me to be in control enough that you didn’t object. In the bedroom, it would be things similar to that. Outside of the bedroom, it would be whatever worked for both of us. The idea is that it benefits you as well as me. I don’t want anything I am given control of to be harmful to you. But it requires us to communicate about who we are and what our needs and wants are.”
So far, it made sense, and it didn’t sound that different from a normal relationship where two people acted as a team, each working their strengths to help the other. “Then I guess we have some talking to do.”
As I confirmed my willingness, a light appeared in Lukas’ eyes. Merely considering it had made him very happy, and I found I liked the thought.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
It took another half an hour to get to Lukas’ apartment. The whole way there, we talked about us, what he wanted, and what I might want from a relationship with a dominant. I’d never considered what might be possible before, and there were some things I definitely didn’t want.
There was no way I wanted to have someone tell me what to eat or what to wear. And I’d already established that my finances would never be something I wanted to let go of entirely. Although I wasn’t very old, I had been independent long enough that there were elements of my independence I never wanted to lose.
But some of the offers Lukas made were tempting. Having someone choose vacations and dates as surprises sounded fun. Trusting someone else with all sorts of other small decisions in the day-to-day so I had more mental capacity for the decisions that mattered.
On top of that, he had correctly identified that I liked to make others happy. I was naturally eager to do something I knew would help or serve in some way. I liked interior design because it helped people make their spaces beautiful and helped make them happy on an ongoing basis.
I liked giving people a warm home to stay in. One of the reasons I loved the job I was doing for Sarai was knowing that I was making exciting themed vacation homes for couples and families to stay in. I got to think about what would bring joy to people when they were going on adventures.
That sort of thing meant I often wanted to come home to something warm and safe that helped me recharge and feel good.
I was nervous as Lukas led me toward his apartment. It was at the top of a large high-rise, no doubt the penthouse. We went past a doorman to an elevator, similar to the setup Juno was staying in with Jack. The familiarity helped to make me feel less nervous about going with him.
“I probably shouldn’t stay for too long,” I said. “Sarai is expecting to pick me up from the place she’s put me up in at eight.”
Lukas grinned and looked down before taking my hand. “How about I take you in to work tomorrow, and we don’t worry about that?”
Although I wanted to say yes, I was torn. If I stayed, Sarai would know. “The others will talk.”
“Let them talk. Most of them are already well aware that I have feelings for you. And I think they suspect you do for me. Sarai was pretty confident you would be in a car with me for the project completion road trip, and if you add up how many rooms we’d need where, she wasn’t expecting us to need separate rooms. Or someone else is bunking up that I don’t know about.”
This was an element I hadn’t picked up on. He was right that Sarai had implied I would be sharing a car with him at least, however. But it was different having her suspect it versus knowing it. If I messaged her to let her know Lukas was bringing me into work instead, I would be advertising it.
But I didn’t want to leave either. Everything that Lukas said in the car made me want to see what it would be like to spend more time with him. I was here in the US, and I didn’t know if I would get another chance to spend time with Lukas and see if anything could work if I didn’t take the opportunity now.
As he got up to get us drinks and give me some space, I felt even better about the decision to stay. He wasn’t pressuring me. He’d made his point of view clear, and now he was giving me time to think about it.
However, when I thought about how quickly I had slept with him on the island and what had happened afterward, I considered leaving. I’d rushed into this once already, and it hadn’t ended well. But we had also already had sex once this evening.
If Lukas only wanted to screw me again and ditch me once more, then he had already achieved the first part of his goal. His only reason for asking me to be in the apartment with him had to be because he genuinely wanted to spend more time with me and talk about something more long-term.
“Here you go, sweetness,” he said, handing me a glass of wine.
“Sweetness?” I asked, not sure how I felt about the pet name or how soon he was using one.
“Yes. You’re adorable and kind and taste good, and it made me think of sweet things like the massive box of desserts we have to consume.” Lukas gave me a mischievous smile, and I couldn’t help but grin back. When put like that, I liked the sentiment.
“We can take the leftover desserts into the site office tomorrow. I’m sure the builders will polish them off fast,” I said, trying to change the subject before I blushed too much more.
“Does that mean you’re staying?” Lukas sat beside me and reached up to tuck a loose lock of hair behind my ear.
I couldn’t breathe, my body refusing to respond or function after the electric pulse that his touch caused. I stared at him, knowing my mouth was open but unable to do anything about it.
“Is this too much? Do I need to slow down?”
Before my mouth could form words or I could really think about it, I shook my head. When Lukas was this close to me, I could only think about one thing for sure. That I didn’t want it to end.
He slowly leaned in closer and gave me a gentle kiss, his lips barely pressing against mine. I followed him as he tried to pull away until he chuckled.
Finally, he kissed me again, this time a little more firmly. And then once more. “I don’t think I will ever tire of kissing you.”
I flushed and sighed. It seemed that no matter what, my cheeks would be red and burning.
He let out another mischievous laugh and ran a finger over one cheek. I wanted him to press his lips to mine again, but he pulled back after that and made himself comfortable beside me before picking up his glass of wine.
“So, if you’re staying and we’re going to consider the possibility of a dom-sub relationship, we should make sure I’ve answered any questions you have and take this one step at a time. The real magic doesn’t happen without the effort of building the foundations healthy and strong.”
I couldn’t quite tell if he was talking as an architect or a lover, but it was an apt description either way. I considered whether I had any questions for him, but he had explained a lot of his stance already, and I wasn’t sure what an actual relationship would be like. I didn’t know what I needed to know.
“Can I ask you questions later if I think of them?” I looked up at him, not sure how he’d react to the question, but he put his wine back down and took my hands.
“Always. At any point. I don’t want to control you just to control you. I want to be trusted to know what’s best and to be able to provide, whether that’s pleasure, safety, or an answer to a problem. The idea is not to keep you ignorant of anything or treat you like a child who will never learn.”
I nodded. It made sense when he put it that way, but it was a lot to wrap my head around.
“When I took control of your hands and the situation earlier, it allowed you to simply feel. To be entirely in the moment. I teased you, building up your desire. I hope that made the pleasure even better in the end.”
As even more heat crept into my cheeks and between my thighs at the same time, I looked down, but I couldn’t help but smile. He wasn’t wrong. At all.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Lukas
Watching Kit’s reaction as I explained who I wanted to be made me even more certain that if I was responsible and true to my word, she would enjoy being mine. Still, I hesitated a moment, sipping my wine so I could think.
I liked her. A lot.
And she clearly liked me.
Was that enough?
Did I need any other reason than that to keep going? Daniel and Henry didn’t seem to think so, but this needed to be my decision. I didn’t know if I could trust this woman, but I was asking her to trust me and let me do things to her body she might never have experienced.
If I was going to ask that of her, I knew I had to make my mind up once and for all. I had to decide if I was going to give her a proper chance to earn my trust, too.
And so far, so good. Once I stopped looking for every single possible red flag, I started to see the green ones. She was kind to everyone around her, even the people who couldn’t help her or could be considered beneath her.
This woman was at least trying to be a decent person on some level. That was as good a place to start as any.
I finished my wine, noticing that she had drunk about two-thirds of her glass. It was enough. My goal wasn’t to get her drunk or take advantage, only to help her relax with me.
As she put the glass down, more composed again, I once more shifted closer to her. I had fucked her earlier, and I was going to have her again. But this time, I was going to make love to her. While she was still here and not protesting, I was going to take my time enjoying her but also show her what I was capable of.
I reached for her hand as I stood. She put it in mine, her big eyes looking up at me with curiosity. Our conversations had also calmed her, and it gave me the confidence I needed to be able to lead her to the bedroom.
My apartment wasn’t large, but I had as good a view from my bedroom as I had from the office. It overlooked the city, and her eyes took it all in, the lights reflecting in them and illuminating her face just enough.
As she went to the window, I followed and stood behind her. I stroked a hand down her hair, sweeping it away from the back of her neck. Without warning, I kissed her there, then again, trailing my lips up to the bottom of her ear. She shuddered against me, and I shifted closer to her.
Leaning into me, she let out a soft moan and tried to turn. I wrapped an arm around her waist and held her away from me.
“Patience,” I whispered before very gently biting her ear.
She exhaled a ragged breath, unable to form a reply with words, but it was enough. I could feel her body heating under my hands as I continued to explore the contours of her body with my mouth. After a few seconds more of slow, exploratory kisses over her skin, I ran a hand down her arm and to her fingers.
I entwined them for a moment, bringing her arm around her body with my hand, wrapping her up in both our arms. At the same time, I brought my body as close as I could behind her. I knew she would be able to feel my erection and desire for her, and I wanted her to. This was going to show her not only how controlled I could be with her body but also with mine. I needed her to know that I was more than ready to screw her hard, but I was going to take my time anyway.
While she was still facing away from me, I slowly unbuttoned her blouse, the soft material adding to the sensations we both felt. At first, she reached up as if to try and stop me, and I had to hold the entwined hand away and kiss her neck a few more times.
It only took a little encouragement for her to yield to me. Slowly, I revealed her body, her skin smooth and warm. She wore a bra that seemed to barely contain her breasts, each intake of air raising them as if they wanted to be free.
With my mouth still exploring across her skin, I ran my hands up and over her torso. She gasped as I caressed her more intimate area, able to feel her hard nipples through the fabric. Her reaction encouraged me to do it again, a little slower this time.
Again, she tried to turn toward me, but I immediately shifted my hands and held her tighter in my arms.
“I said patience.” This time, I was louder, adding a little growl to my words. A slight reminder that she had agreed to let me be in control. I would enjoy her when I was ready to do so and not before.
She let out a sort of frustrated growl of her own, and it only made me chuckle and kiss her neck some more. Her desire for more was exactly what I wanted.
Slowly, I lifted a hand up her back, trailing my fingers across more skin. I listened to every sigh and moan she made, every hitch of breath as I kissed and touched, taking my time. She was almost like a puppet, and I was in charge of making her sing.
I gently removed every piece of clothing she was wearing, taking my time, paying attention to every part I exposed. I led her to the bed. Again, she reached to undo my clothing. I was still fully dressed, but that could be solved later. Once more, I took her hands in mine, but I was gentle.
Bringing her fingers up, I pressed them to my lips, one by one, keeping eye contact with her in between. Finally, when I was done, I pushed them down to her sides and put both arms around her.
For the first time since this had begun, I kissed her mouth, still keeping the kisses slow and steady.
“Is this what you mean by being in control but taking care of me?” she asked, her voice almost hesitant as if she wasn’t sure she should be talking at all.
“It is. Do you trust me?” I studied her as I asked the question. This was the point where she could stop this and end it if it was too much for her, but I really wanted her to say she was okay. I wanted her to give me her trust.
“Entirely.” She looked up at me and gave me the sweetest smile.
I couldn’t breathe. That one word and look had undone me completely.
