Awaken (10 page)

Mimi watched Cooper storm out of the room.
I’ve never seen him like this,
she thought to herself.
What has this girl done to him? He’s falling in love with her. Why else would he reveal himself with so much at stake?

The thought sent Mimi into a panic. She began pacing the room franticly.
I’m the only one who understands him,
she convinced herself.
I’m the only one he can trust.
 

Mimi stared into the crackling fire.
This stupid girl is going to ruin everything we have. I can’t let that happen. I can’t. I won’t.
 

As she continued looking into the flames, Mimi grew determined to keep things exactly as they were.

About an hour later, the buzzer to the front entrance of Lacey’s apartment building rang.
It must be him,
she told herself.
He wants to explain himself but there’s no point.
 

Lacey tried to ignore the buzzer, but it kept ringing. When the sound grew annoyingly incessant, she dragged herself out of bed and walked toward her front door. She pressed the button on the intercom.

“Go away.”

“Not until I talk to you,” Cooper said quickly through the intercom.

“Well, I don’t want to talk. In fact, I never want to see you again. Leave me alone. Goodnight.”

Lacey let go of the button on the small box mounted on the wall of her foyer. She returned to her bedroom.

Five minutes later there was a hard knock at her front door.

At first, Lacey thought it might have been Penelope. But then the knocking turned into banging. She was forced out of bed and threw on a pair of grey sweatpants.

Lacey looked through her peephole and saw Cooper standing in her hallway, dressed in a business suit, rubbing the back of his neck.

Now what do I do
? she wondered.
 

Cooper banged on the door again.

“He’s going to wake up the whole building,” she muttered.

Although she knew she might regret it, Lacey took a deep breath and cracked her front door open. She kept the security chain in place.
 

“How’d you get inside?” she asked, staring at him.

Cooper leaned forward, against the doorframe. “An old man on the first floor came home drunk. Told him I lost my keys.”

Lacey rolled her eyes. “Nice to know I live in such a secure building.” She eyed Cooper up and down. “Just go home.”

“I will,” Cooper said, his face leaning closer through the crack in the door. “But only after I talk to you.”

“I don’t want to hear what you have to say,” said Lacey with a sigh.

Cooper looked at her, his gaze unwavering. “I’m not going anywhere until you hear me out.”
 

By the resolute tone in his voice and the conviction in his eyes, Lacey knew Cooper meant it. She wasn’t sure what to do. Nothing Cooper could say would change how she felt about him. He had manipulated and lied to her. But by the look in his eyes, she knew Cooper wouldn’t leave until he got to tell his side of the story.

“Fine,” Lacey said annoyed.

She unlatched the chain lock on her door and let him in.

“You’re wasting your time though,” said Lacey as Cooper walked past.

He turned. Lacey was surprised by the stern expression on his face. She felt the tension radiating from his body. His masculine, alpha energy filled the entire room. As Cooper West stood in her kitchen, staring at her, Lacey couldn’t help but picture him as a wild animal — a lion trapped in a man’s body and wearing a tailor made suit. She hated to admit how turned on she was by his presence: those burning green eyes, his ruffled dark hair, those broad shoulders…His energy engulfed her.

Lacey took a deep breath and reminded herself that he was an asshole. One, who just moments ago, had brought her to tears.

Cooper kept staring at her, but said nothing.
 

“Well, what did you want to say?” she finally asked, folding her arms across her chest.

He turned abruptly and walked toward the window in her living room, the one looking out on the Manhattan skyline. Lacey stayed in the kitchen and watched as Cooper took a deep breath and stared at the bright lights of the city. Lacey could tell he was struggling with how to begin.

“I didn’t have to share any of this with you,” he finally blurted.
 

He turned around to face her, their eyes locking in on each other. Cooper walked forward, approaching her. Lacey noticed the tension in his face and his body slowly ease. As he got closer, she was surprised to feel a nervous excitement build inside her.

“I could have just kept your diary and never told you I was the Master,” continued Cooper.

“So this makes you a little less of an asshole?” Lacey asked.

Cooper ignored her sarcasm. He reached inside the coat pocket of his suit and removed a folded piece of paper.

“You gave me your diary,” Cooper said. “You were honest with me, so I decided to be honest with you. But now, I need you to put yourself in my shoes.”

Cooper placed the paper on Lacey’s kitchen counter. Lacey was confused by what was happening.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“A non-disclosure agreement,” Cooper said flatly. “I need you to sign it. It states that you’ll never tell anyone that I’m the Master.”

Lacey scoffed. “Are you kidding me?”
 

Cooper shook his head, his expression serious.
 

“I’m not signing that.” She pushed the paper away.

Cooper sighed. “Lacey, I’m the owner of the biggest recruiting firm in the country, creating jobs for millions of people. I’m the chief sponsor of several charities and humanitarian efforts. But none of that matters if word gets out about my activities at Nectar. We both know that we live in a society that will use that as an excuse to destroy my reputation and everything I’ve built.” Cooper paused. “I understand that you’re upset with me. But I want you to know that I never had to share the truth about me with you. I did it because…”

Cooper paused abruptly.
 

Lacey waited for him to continue.
Go on. Why did you share your secret? Tell me.

But Cooper didn’t finish his thought. He quickly shook his head, took a deep breath, and straightened his shoulders. “Anyway, I need you to sign the non-disclosure. I can make it worth your while. I can pay you half a million dollars for your signature.”

Lacey’s jaw dropped.
Half a million dollars? Are you fuckin’ kidding me?

She stood tall and stared him straight in the eyes. “Is that what you think of me, Cooper? That I’m somebody you can buy off?”

“Everybody has a price,” Cooper said, moving in closer.
 

“Not me,” said Lacey, holding her ground.

Lacey noticed the hint of a smile forming on Cooper’s lips. He looked down at the non-disclosure agreement resting on the kitchen counter. He tapped it with his fingers.

“I forgot,” he said, mockingly. “You don’t care about money.”

“Not yours, anyway,” said Lacey.

He jerked his head and glared at her. Lacey saw the heat returning to Cooper’s eyes, like fire dancing in a green mist. They stared each other down.
 

“Is that so,” Cooper hissed.

Lacey nodded, knowing she had pissed him off. Cooper moved in closer, close enough that Lacey could inhale his masculine scent – a heady mix of musk, spice, and strength. His face and full, luscious lips, were inches from her own. She saw a cocksure grin slowly form as he kept staring into her.

“You might not need my money, Lacey. But there’s something else I know you need from me.”

The proximity of his presence shot a bolt of desire straight through her. Lacey swallowed, forcing herself to stay firm.
Don’t let his hot looks and sex appeal distract you.

“I don’t need anything from you,” she retorted.

Cooper leaned forward so his lips were a fraction apart from hers. Lacey caught her breath.

“We both know that’s not true.” Cooper whispered into her ear, “I’m the best fuck you’ve ever had. You know it. And I know it.”

Then he stepped back and confidently gazed her body up and down, licking his succulent lips. Lacey was shocked by his arrogance…even though she had to admit he was right. She hated herself for being turned on by him.

“Didn’t you thank me,” continued Cooper, with a teasing grin. “When I fucked you in front of all those people at Nectar?”

Lacey didn’t respond. She was focused on controlling the cocktail of emotions running through her body: anger, embarrassment, and a twist of desire.

By the look in Cooper’s eyes, Lacey knew he could sense her inner turmoil. He glanced at the non-disclosure agreement, slid it back and forth with his fingers.
 

“You don’t want my money. You’ve made that clear,” he said calmly. He turned his confident gaze on her. “But you want me to fuck you.”

Lacey’s thighs quivered. She took a shaky breath as Cooper grazed her exposed collarbone with his hand.
 

“You agree to sign that non-disclosure agreement,” he said. “And I promise I’ll give you the best night of your life: Guaranteed. What we did at Nectar that night won’t even come close. I’ll unleash the wild cat inside you that’s begging to be free. I’ll fuck you properly, like you’re meant to be fucked. It’s a crying shame that a woman like you doesn’t understand the magnitude of pleasure her body is capable of providing.” His voice was a sensuous purr, sending shivers of desire through her. Lacey noticed his tempting lips, so close to hers. Cooper continued, “I won’t just make you come, Lacey. I’ll leave you breathless.”

Lacey couldn’t believe it. He was offering her sex in exchange for her silence. Under normal circumstances, Lacey would have slapped Cooper for being so insolent and shoved him out of her apartment. But he was standing so close that she felt a scorching heat rise inside her. Her pussy suddenly began throbbing. She knew he was offering something she so desperately needed. Sex with the Master was the greatest sex she’d ever known. And now Cooper raised the bar and promised her something even better.
 

She took in his handsome face, his dark hair, his gorgeous, piercing green eyes. But this time there would be no mask, no crowd. While his hard cock brought her to orgasm, Lacey could finally kiss Cooper’s lush lips, run her fingers through his dark hair. Just the thought of it – of feeling him inside her while she tasted his mouth, made her instantly damp. It was an offer she just couldn’t refuse.

“Fuck you,” Lacey gasped. She reached for Cooper’s face and kissed him hard on the mouth.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He returned her kiss with the same passion, the same intensity. He dipped his warm tongue into her mouth. Lacey mated her tongue with his. He tasted so good, like fresh mint.
 

She leaned back and yanked his suit jacket over his shoulders.

She stared into his eyes and said firmly, “Remember. You promised me the best night of my life. Guaranteed.”
 

Cooper looked at her with a devilish smirk. He took a step back and slid off his jacket, tossed it onto her couch. He proceeded to unbutton his crisp, white dress shirt. Lacey’s body shivered at the sight of Cooper’s broad shoulders and sculpted torso, as if seeing him for the first time. She couldn’t wait to glide her hands over his defined muscles, feel his taut flesh press against hers.

He stepped toward her, lifting his hand, and in a light caress, he closed it around her throat. Lacey caught her breath. Looking deep into her eyes, with a smoldering stare, Cooper slid his hand down her white tank top. He cupped one of her breasts through the flimsy fabric and began kneading it with his firm hand. He spoke to her in a low, confident tone.

“That night at Nectar, when I fucked you in front of all those people, when you were bound and gagged, under my control, you were surprised by how much you enjoyed it.”

Lacey nodded with embarrassment. “Yes,” she confessed.

“After everything you’ve been through, facing death, you’ve realized there are more things in life you want to explore. Things some people don’t want to talk about or confess to enjoying.”

Cooper squeezed her breast more firmly. He took his other hand and pressed his palm against her crotch, feeling through the fabric of her gray sweatpants.

“Your cunt is discovering a voice it never knew existed,” he said in a sexy whisper.

Lacey felt Cooper’s warm breath against her face. She couldn’t refute anything he was saying. Sex with him had introduced her to a world of desire she longed to re-enter.

Suddenly, Cooper reached and curled his fingers over the neckline of Lacey’s white tank top. With great ease, he ripped it apart, exposing her naked, full breasts.

Lacey gasped, shocked by Cooper’s aggressiveness.

With both hands, Cooper cupped her breasts then pinched her nipples. With his face so close to hers, he stared into her eyes, and growled, “On your knees, Lacey.”

Lacey gulped and slowly lowered herself onto the rug in her living room. The forcefulness in his voice excited her, much to her surprise.