Love Unbound (A Steamy Billionaire Romance) Read online

  I've probably had enough champagne but what the hell I have no work tomorrow—I try not to think if I will ever have work. I'm sure champagne and Ashton Lynch will help me forget even if it's only for one night.

  CHAPTER 19

  Ash

  There's a question I want to ask her but I don't want to frighten her away with too much too soon. We're on the couch, mouths chilled by champagne. She has her hands inside my shirt running them over my stomach down inside the waistband of my pants and the silk of her gown is off her shoulders baring her breasts to my lips. We're taking it easy this time, a long slow build up. It's ecstasy and agony but I'm holding myself back, not rushing things this time. I went at her like a demented beast out there in the hall so I'm determined to enjoy every moment of this delicious growing need before I’m deep inside her again.

  I want to ask but I don't know what the answer will be and it scares me that she might laugh or dismiss it. Then I see a pink ribbon poking out of a box in corner where some of her stuff is still piled up from her move today.

  “Are those the ribbons from your act?” I nod over towards the corner.

  “Yes, why?”

  “I loved the way you used them on stage.”

  “My dance?”

  “Yes your dance and how you ended up tied in them, unable to move.”

  I see her eyes widen. Despite the eroticism of her dance, the things we've done, instinct tells me she's relatively innocent. I should stop but I have to go on. I have to know.

  “Someday I'd like to use them.”

  “You would? You want to dance with ribbons?” She sits up from where she's been lying back against the couch. She knows that's not what I mean.

  “I want to tie you up.”

  It's out now. I've said it.

  She doesn't react in horror but I can tell she's thinking about it. I guess it's not such an unusual request these days with high street stores selling vibrators and chocolate body paint as fun gifts. But I don't just mean tying her hands together or to the bed posts. She probably thinks that's the kind of thing I mean. I'll let her think that for now though really I want to see her not just in ribbons but in silky rope and cold metal chains wrapped all around her—around her hands and legs, around her breasts, between her legs, everywhere. My cock jumps at the thought of rope around her sensitive breasts making them jut out for my pleasure and hers.

  “So I can't move?” she asks.

  “Not the part of you that is bound. Not unless I untie you.” I kiss her neck. I can hardly bear to look at her to find out what she's thinking about this.

  “But I won't be able to touch you if I'm tied up. What if I want to touch you?” She runs her hands over the front of my pants and my breath hitches.

  “You can't. You have to wait until I untie you to do that.” I take her fingers and kiss them. I need to focus on this conversation.

  “But you can touch me, do anything you want to me?”

  “Yes, anything.”

  “It sounds like your control freakery coming out again.”

  “A bit. I admit. But it's not just about that. It's a kind of art form.”

  “Art? You're kidding me.”

  “Not at all. The Japanese call binding with rope and intricate knots shibari but I don't really care what it's supposed to be called. I just call it fucking beautiful.”

  “And that's supposed to be pleasurable?”

  “You have no idea how much.”

  “For you, you mean.”

  “For you too.”

  She looks as if she doesn't believe me. “What if I don't like being tied up? What if I don't like what you're doing to me?”

  “I'll stop and untie you. You only have to say.” I can see she's considering it.

  “How do I know you'll do that?”

  “You'll have to trust me but I will. I'll never do anything you don't want, and we don't have to do anything complicated to start. I'd like to use your ribbons but just say if you don't want to try.” I'm sitting on a knife edge. If she won't try the ribbons I don't know how I'll feel. I'm regretting asking her now. I should have given her more time to get to know me.

  “Alright,” she says, shyly.

  “Alright? You'll try it?”

  She gulps. “Yes—as long as you stop when I tell you to.”

  I hope she won't want to stop.

  CHAPTER 20

  Victoria

  The thought of being tied up excites me and worries me all at once. Somehow I trust Ash but I don't really know if my instinct is right.

  He pulls the ribbons from the box. Normally I would be using them on stage about now, tying myself up, not holding out my hands so someone like Ashton Lynch can bind them together in front of me. His eyes are sparkling as he ties the bow securely.

  It's clear he's pleased I said yes to this. What have I gotten myself into? Will I like it? I have no idea.

  “Comfortable?” he asks

  “Yes.”

  “Can you get out of that?”

  I wriggle my wrists but the bounds won't budge and I shake my head, my heart pounding.

  “Good,” he says. “There's not much point if you can just get out of it.”

  He smiles in a reassuring way. I'm not sure I'm reassured. He unties the sash on my robe and it falls open. I can't pull the edges together to cover myself and suddenly I feel strangely vulnerable despite everything we have done. He has seen me completely naked. He has touched and had his mouth on me everywhere. But now that I can't stop him, it feels different. He runs his fingers over my nipples and I feel the tingle there and between my legs, my heart speeding up even more.

  And then he leads me into the bedroom and guides me onto the bed. There's a huge light fitting on the ceiling I haven't noticed before—it's like a six feet square sheet of mirrored glass with lights inset around the edge. I can see myself with my hands tied together in front of my nakedness and my robe pulled apart. And then I watch him leaning over me, using another ribbon to tie my hands to one of the bed posts and I feel a fresh flood of desire run through me, for his hands, his lips, his cock, my nipples hardening to achy points of need.

  “I should have given better instructions to the interior designer. I didn't think this through. I'm going to have to get you a new bed with better anchor points if you like this.”

  And I'm pleased because it looks as if he hasn't used the apartment for this kind of thing before now. But then all thought is swept aside because he peels off his clothes.

  I groan then and pull at the restraints. I want to touch his body. His finely sculpted smooth muscles are begging for my fingers. I want to trace the fine line of hair down his smooth lightly tanned skin from his taut abs to his cock.

  “What's wrong? You don't want a new bed?”

  “I want to touch you.”

  He laughs and kisses my nose.

  “Well you can't but you look fucking delightful all tied up like that. What will I do with you now?”

  “Watch out I can still kick,” I tell him.

  “Can you now? We'll see about that,” and he pulls the sash from my robe and uses it to tie my feet at the ankles, making my insides clench with want like liquid fire, watching his fine smooth back and ass in the mirror.

  I feel less vulnerable like this with my legs closed but that doesn't stop him pushing his fingers between my thighs feeling how wet I am for him, how wet this is making me and he grins when he finds out. “You like this,” he says.

  I can't deny it. My face reddens at his words.

  “I'm going to make you come so hard,” he says, his voice gruff, making me gasp, and writhe—at least the little I can. “But patience.” He kisses my stomach stilling me. “First I'm going to have some fun making you wait.”

  He touches me everywhere, first softly all over and then with increasing pressure, then he uses his mouth, his lips, his tongue, his cock, stimulating every nerve ending. Every time I am on the edge he pulls back, makes me wait until I am begging him no
t to stop.

  He unties my ankles.

  “What do you want?” he teases.

  “I want you.”

  “You've got me, babe. You had me from the first time I saw you outside the club. What do you really want?”

  I sense he's going to make me say it. He's not going to start again until I do.

  “I want your cock. I want your cock inside me.”

  “That's better. Do you want it like this?” He rolls on a condom and slides himself into me just a couple of inches and then pulls out again.

  “No deeper, harder, all of you.”

  “Like this then?” he says and he slides right into me deep and slow, forging a path. I feel him deep inside me opening me up. It's so good but still I groan. It's not enough.

  “Is that what you want?” He smiles.

  “Yes. No. Harder. Faster.”

  He rams into me then over and over and I hear myself grunting with the force of it but it's exactly what I need—him, filling me, stretching me taking me further to where I want to go. And still I'm gasping out, “please, please,” because I'm afraid he'll stop and if he does I don't think I'll be able to stand it.

  “You're fucking adorable, when you're begging,” he says. “You know that?”

  “Let me come.” I'll beg all he wants if he'll only keep going.

  “You got it.” He hoists my legs up to his hips and pushes into me again, roughly, impaling me on his cock, thrusting into me hitting the perfect spot again and again until I can't think straight—my body has taken complete control of my mind. I am spread wide for him, wetter than I've ever been, my moans, cries and grunts filling the room, and I come, quivering around him as he groans out his own release, pulsing deep inside me.

  ***

  I think he'll untie me now but he doesn't. My hands are starting to ache cramped in one position. But he starts all over again, teasing me. This is too much. I can't bear it and I feel my face crumple but he's undoing my hands smoothing away the aches in my arms.

  “Hey baby. Too much for you?” He holds me and kisses my hair. “You only had to say. I told you I would untie you if you told me to stop.”

  “I know but you were enjoying yourself. I loved that the first time but it was so intense I couldn't do that all over again.”

  I want to cry because there are probably other women he knows who don't find it too much. Jimmy often called me frigid when I didn't feel like being pawed by him in the middle of the night when he came over after closing down the club. I'm sure there are others who will welcome Ashton Lynch in their bed and let him do whatever he likes. A man like that can have anyone.

  “Just let me hold you,” he says. “No more ribbons or knots and I promise not to make you come ever again.”

  And I giggle at that because that's the last thing I want. I just need a break. And the ribbons and knots were fantastic for a while. I reach for him and he wraps his arms around me.

  CHAPTER 21

  Ash

  Fuck! I came on too strong. She was loving that. I know she was and I want to kick myself. When did my judgement get so bad? She's got me so I can't think straight, this girl. I want to do everything with her and make her mine. I'm pushing this as far as it can go, taking what pleasure I can because it won't last. Nothing ever does. When it all goes wrong, as it surely will, this time with her will still be something to remember, something so fucking good it will still make me hard no matter when I think of it.

  I rub her shoulders and back, soothing her, and she murmurs against me. She seems relaxed, languid and even content and I'm happy I haven't upset her too much.

  If I can just get this girl out of my system, I'll get my head screwed back on the right way up. Trouble is screwing her is exactly what I want to do and I'm not sure I'm ever going to get her out of my system. I seem to be getting in deeper, further out of control. And I can't go there again.

  But even as I think that, I look down at her lying against me, and run my hands through her hair and I doubt myself. I doubt my ability to give her up now just to spare myself grief in the future. Maybe I'm just going to have to man up and fucking deal with the crap when it happens.

  She stirs against me and I can't help leaning down to kiss her. Fuck, I've got it bad. It's as if I've been swept along on some stupid wave. Cameron would be proud. He'd call it love already. I'd tell him to piss off. It's too soon for anything like that and yet...

  I should say something to her now, tell her again that I'm no good and that this will never work, so she has no illusions about me and her but she's asleep in my arms so peacefully. Half of me wants to peel her off me and go, get out of there, flee for my life and sanity and the other half wants to stay here and fuck her again. So I'm just lying here, not wanting to disturb her by moving. What the fuck am I doing? I never stay the whole night with a woman.

  CHAPTER 22

  Victoria

  I fell asleep on him. I'm useless. I bet other women don't fall asleep on him when he tries to make them come again. I grab my robe and tip toe out of bed, leaving him sleeping. I don't know where anything is in this place but there must be something to make coffee. The tiles are cool beneath my feet. I have no clue where my slippers are. As I pass the large ornate mirror leaning against the wall in the dim hall, I take a look at myself, but it's the same me looking back. I didn't recognize myself in my reflection on the ceiling last night, how I felt and looked tied up, but that was all about Ash and the things he did to me. It scared me but I wanted it. Why did I stop him? How feeble was that?

  There's the coffee maker on the kitchen counter, a sleek stainless steel thing and every kind of coffee in pods. I was going to make a pot. I don't know what Ash likes. I know he likes to tie me up but I don't even know whether to choose a green pod or a red one.

  “Straight Americano for me,” he says, making me jump as I stand there deliberating.

  He comes behind me, puts his arms around me and kisses the side of my neck. Does he know what that does to me? I think he does. He's only half-dressed, naked from the waist up—a fine sight for the morning. “The blue one.”

  “You make your own coffee?”

  He laughs. “When it's Mrs....”

  “Hanson's day off.” I laugh too.

  “But I'll take a cup of coffee from the expert. Maybe I should get you a new uniform. You're very cute in that.”

  “Very funny.”

  “No seriously, it suits you but I guess you look good in a lot of things. Or without them.”

  He pulls the sash on my robe and undoes the bow and the thing slides off my shoulders. He has me naked and at a disadvantage again. He seems to like that.

  “You do that and you'll never get any coffee. You'd never get away with that at the coffee shop.”

  “I love a challenge,” he says.

  But his kiss stops me saying anything else. This guy takes my breath away.

  ***

  Ash goes to work kissing me as if nothing happened, as if he hasn't just turned my life upside down and inside out. He doesn't say when he'll see me again, he just says he'll see me soon when he kisses me as he leaves. I think he means it. I'm pretty sure he does.

  I feel wrecked but I need to see Tom at the coffee shop. I can't just resign with a letter.

  He's not very happy with me when I talk to him. I say I'll bring the uniform back but he docks it from my wages. He flounces into the store room after he hands them to me.

  Jessie gives me a hug. “I'll see you later. I can't wait to see your new place.”

  I give her the address and she comes around in between her shift at the coffee shop and her act at the Tempest.

  “Wow this place is something else.” She spins around taking everything in.

  I feel bad that I have all this and she has to find a new roommate to cover my rent. I tell her I'll cover my share until she finds someone. At least I have an advance for that. It feels good to be able to do that at least.

  The more she looks around the apartm
ent, going from room to room, the less her usual laid back self she seems to be.

  She opens the closet. “Look at all this.” I wasn't going to show her that but Jessie doesn't need to wait for an invitation to do anything. “He gave you all these?”

  “Yes. It was all there when I moved in.”

  “Lucky bitch,” she says with a smile, but I'm not sure she's happy about it. I sense a space growing between us that wasn't there when we were in the same boat struggling to make the rent and work two jobs. And yet I don't feel any more secure than I did last week.

  “I don't know, Jessie, it could all disappear in a week. If I fail the audition or if I fuck up some other way.”

  “Still you can enjoy it while you have it. If you're worried you could keep your room for a bit. You'll still have to help with the rent.”

  “Would you do that?”

  “Course.”

  She's a good friend. And so what if she's a bit put out by my success? If the shoe was on the other foot, I probably would be too, even as I wished her well.

  But knowing Jessie if she was in my place, she would be trying on all the outfits and painting the town red with her good fortune, burning the whole of her advance and probably more. But I can't celebrate yet. It doesn't feel real. I don't tell her about Ash. I want to hug that to myself a while longer. That's another thing that might vanish in thin air and I can't do anything about that.

  “How was Tom after I left?”

  “Grumpy but he remembered his niece was looking for a part time job so he gave her a call and she's starting in a couple of days.”

  So no coffee shop job to go back to either but then I expected that.

  CHAPTER 23

  Ash

  Cameron is back with his head focused on the job, discussing the plans for promoting a tell-all book about one of our newest clients, totally off the record but made with full cooperation. Thank fuck for Cameron in a sensible mood.

  “Is your new guy not working out?” I ask.