Panting, I writhed and squirmed beneath him. “Fuck me, make me come hard. I need you. Please Jared.” Nipping on my ear lobe he moaned with satisfaction. “Good girl.” Surging into me, he rocked his hips in a sweet and blissful rhythm making my orgasm grow closer and closer with every shove of his hips into me. “Come for me Layla. Let go. I need to feel you around me.” My body responded to his command immediately, my orgasm pulsing and jolting inside me. I moaned loudly as I called his name over and over as the pleasure surged through my body, forcing me to grip the edges of the table so hard I thought I might crack the glass. Jared thrust forcefully inside me. Staring intensely into my eyes he panted before hissing out a long breath as he found his release. Collapsing on top of me, I could feel the sweat trickling from his forehead onto my cleavage. My dress was still in place and the thought that neither of us had found time to remove our clothes was particularly arousing. Our need for each other was intense. It had to be right there, right then. He was still panting with his head pressed into my chest as I ran my hand through his hair in a calming, caressing motion. Taking a deep breath, he shifted onto his elbows and gazed at me. His thumb grazed my cheek with a gentle tenderness. The Jared lying on top of me on that table was so different to the one who had been commanding me to behave just a few moments ago. He was so complex and entirely distracting. “You’re killing me Layla. You drive me wild whenever I’m near you. The way your body moves when you walk, the way you bite your lip, the way your body responds to my touch and the smell of your perfume makes my blood simmer. You’re intoxicating and I’m dizzy from the fumes.” His words made me melt into a pool of happy and contented bliss. I smiled down at him before placing my hand over my mouth to stifle a yawn. I hadn’t realized how tired I was. The events of the evening were catching up with me and I could feel my eyelids becoming increasingly heavy. Taking my hand, Jared got to his feet, pulled me into a sitting position and handed me my panties. He zipped up his pants but left his shirt completely open. I wriggled off the end of the table, slid my underwear back on and straightened my dress. Glancing over my shoulder, I scanned the table. It was smeared with sweat, evidence of the two hot bodies that had been writhing all over it just a few minutes ago. Taking my hand once more, he pressed it to his lips and placed a tender kiss on my knuckles. “You’re exhausted. Come on, time for bed my lady.” Taking me into his arms he scooped me up as he had done at the bar, like a new bride being carried over the threshold. His strong arms held me closely as I wound my fingers together around his neck and buried my head in his chest. He carried me up the stairs and across the hall to the three bedrooms at the far end of the house. I looked up at him a little confused as I’d assumed we would be sleeping in his room, together. “We’re not sleeping together?” Placing me gently on my feet, we stood outside the door of one of the large guest rooms. Holding my hands in his, he shook his head and sighed ruefully. “No. It’s not that I don’t want to sleep with you. It’s that I can see how tired you are and I know there’s no way I can control myself lying next to you all night. You sleep in there tonight and I’ll be here when you wake up.” The plague of disappointment began to twist inside me. What we’d shared in the dining room was intense and I’d felt connected to him in a deep and meaningful way. Now he was casting me aside and I felt used, cheap and dirty. The sadness and disappointment that I had been feeling a moment before was suddenly turning into intense anger. “You know what Jared, its fine. I get it. You want me to be yours but on your terms. Dinner was delicious and I very much enjoyed the fantastic fucking you gave me on the table. Thank you for your hospitality this evening and for taking care of me at the bar, I appreciate it. I’ll sleep for a few hours and be sure to leave before you wake. Don’t worry about me. Goodnight.” His mouth pressed into a hard line and his eyebrows furrowed giving me the distinct feeling he was not amused with my outburst. “ Layla, you’re being melodramatic again and typically over reacting as usual. I don’t share that bed. I never have. You’re being ridiculous.” Giving him and icy glare I turned away and headed into the room but he caught me by the elbow tightly and whirled me around to face him. Gripping my arms so I couldn’t escape him he pressed his lips to mine. I pushed him away from me and glowered at him. “ Layla stop! This is absurd! I’m not slinging you out and I don’t want you to leave. If it means that much to you that we share a room tonight fine! Now go to bed!” I stood my ground and crossed my arms over my chest, maintaining the glower I was giving him. Rushing towards me he growled in frustration before hauling me off the floor and over his shoulder. He marched over to the large four poster bed and pushed me down onto the soft mattress. Staring down at me from the foot of the bed he let out a long sigh, closed his eyes tightly and rubbed his forehead with his finger and thumb. “Get undressed; I’ll be back in a moment.” I opened my mouth to shoot him a sarcastic comment but he gave me a warning look. “Don’t. Not a word. Just get undressed and I’ll be back in a minute, I have to do something before I turn in.” I sat on the bed gasping, feeling as though the air had been ripped from my lungs. How could he be so hardhearted? Had what we shared meant nothing to him? Didn’t he care about me at all? My mind was swarming with unanswered questions that my tongue was eager to fire at him. How could I have given him the power to make me feel this way after only a few weeks? His face had been so infuriated and his tone so callous. I could feel a lump in my throat that wouldn’t budge no matter how hard I swallowed. A barrage of tears began to flow down my scorching cheeks. Holding my face in my hands my body rocked and shook as I sobbed. “ Christ Layla, baby don’t cry. I didn’t mean to go off at you like that. Come here.” Crouching in front of me in nothing but a pair of sweat pants, he reached his arms out to pull me in. Shaking my head at him furiously, unable to speak through the sobbing, I stood up and stormed across the room and into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I leaned back against the hard cold wood and slid down to the floor wrapping my arms around my knees. I could feel him on the other side of the door as though the heat from his body were penetrating the wood. He tapped lightly on the door. “Layla open the door. This is absurd, come out here and let’s talk about this like adults. Calm and rational. ” “ No! Just go back to your room and leave me alone! It’s what you wanted anyway.” His fist hammered on the door with such a fury that it startled me. “If you don’t open this door and come out this instant I’m going to open it and pull you out myself” I let out a snort and yelled through the door at him. “Go ahead!” “ I’m not kidding Layla! Last chance.” His voice was low and I could tell he was getting angrier by the minute and for some bizarre and dangerous reason it turned me on. “You don’t scare me, Boss.” Ha! Take that mister insensitive. You don’t scare me . Silence ensued and it worried me. Curiosity plagued me and I timidly opened the door just a crack to see if he had left. I couldn’t see him anywhere in the room, so feeling rather triumphant I walked out, closing the door quietly behind me. A floorboard creaked behind me and I turned around to find Jared standing in the door way with a very large power drill in his hand. Staring at the enormous tool he had gripped in his palm I crossed my arms and glared at him. “And what exactly did you plan on doing with that?” His brow furrowed, marring his gorgeous features as he met my gaze and glared back at me. “Well if the mountain won’t come to me then I must go to the mountain. You locked the door and refused to come out, which, by the way, is extremely childish. So I was going to take the hinges off and remove the problem and also the door.” Dropping the tool on the floor, he slumped down on to the edge of the bed and rested his elbows on his knees. He rubbed his hands over his face and winced before looking up at me. “I think we need to have a conversation. Some things need clearing up. And they need clearing up now rather than later. Come on, we’ll go to my room and talk.” He held his hand out for mine but I turned away and skirted around him, storming down the hall to his room. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he followed me.
Chapter 18
Getting It Straight
The room was dimly lit by two tall standing glass lamps in opposite corners of the room. Making my way over to the lush white couch that I had seen the first night Jared had brought me to his home, I continued to ignore his presence. I sat down and put my feet up so that I was lounging comfortably while trying to retain my infuriated expression. I really was exhausted and after the performance in the dining room and the blow out in the bedroom, I was ready for some shut eye. But he was right, we did have things that we needed to talk about and one burning question I needed an answer to. Slouching into an arm chair directly across from me, he sat forward with his elbows resting on his knees. “ Layla there are some things we need to get straight once and for all. First is for me to apologize for my behavior back there. I’m not used to this,” he gestured between the two of us and immediately gave me an opening to ask him my question. “Jared, someone told me you don’t date. That you don’t do the whole girlfriend thing. Is that true? Is this just a case of hot casual sex with no strings, no commitment and no feelings? Because if that’s what you want then I’m sorry but I’m not the girl for you.” Raising an arched eyebrow at me, a small smile played across his lips. “I see. Been checking up on me have you? Did you Google me as well? No matter. It’s true I have never been one to date. I don’t freely welcome people into my life Layla. It’s hectic and I’m a very busy man. I have an entire enterprise to run and it’s very important that I get it right. It’s my kingdom and I won’t see it torn apart by power hungry politicians and developers who are just itching for me to screw it up. I like my life to be simple and uncomplicated. Getting close to people always ends up going the same way for me. I’m hot tempered and impatient. You saw that in the bedroom a moment ago and on the dining table before that.” This was it. What it all came down to was that Jared couldn’t commit to a relationship and all I could hope for was for us to be nothing more than casual lovers. Feeling completely rejected, I swept my feet from the couch to the floor. Standing up slowly I gazed at him longingly. “I understand and you know what? It’s fine. Just let me get my things and I’ll call a cab to take me home.” Immediately rising to his feet, Jared grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him. “You didn’t let me finish. Just because I haven’t dated doesn’t mean I don’t want to. I care about you Layla. I enjoy spending time with you and not just because of the raw, passionate sex either. You’re witty, sarcastic, intelligent, funny and I love being around you. You brighten my day. When I was stuck in meetings all week I hardly got anything done. I kept thinking about you. What is she doing? Who is she with? Is she thinking about me? My cell phone was practically super glued to my hand because I was worried I’d miss a call or message from you. I’ve never felt that way about a woman before. So no Layla, I don’t usually date, but like I told you in the car the other night, I want you to be mine. Not just your body, not just sex, I want you. All of you for as long as you’ll have me.” I was giddy with happiness. He wanted me, all of me, not just the sex and the frustratingly passionate arguing. He wanted it all. The feeling of elation flooded my veins and I couldn’t control myself anymore, it was as if someone had hit a switch and all the lights had come on in a bright surge of power inside me. Snaking my arms around his neck, I clung to him, wrapping my legs around his waist. He staggered backwards a little, before gripping my behind to stop me from slipping. “ Does this mean you want me too? I need you to be totally aware of what you’re getting into. I’m bad tempered, impatient, possessive and I need a certain degree of order and control in my life. I’m a business man Layla. It’s how we are. It’s how I have to be. There are too many opportunities for me to fail and if I do, I will lose everything. It’s just the way things are. I’ll screw up more than once and I only hope you’ll forgive me when I do. But I’ll always try and put you first when I can, I’ll never deliberately try to hurt you and I promise to treat you like the princess you are. You’re very important to me and I want to do this with you. If you think you can handle all of that, then I would be the happiest man in the state, maybe even the world right now. What do you say Layla?”