Checkmate (6 page)

“God
, you are so warm and wet,” he said quietly, as if he could barely control himself. Then he looked at me with so much intensity, I thought I would explode from that look alone. The next thing I knew his fingers plunged inside me, moving slow and then fast. I cursed myself for living so long without a man; for depriving myself of this amazing feeling. Jeez, I was so screwed…

“I want you. Right now.” He groaned, his eyes drinking in every line of my face.

“
Tu peux faire ce que tu veux
— you can do whatever you want,” I said. And that was that very moment the devil was back, and was grinning down at me with that triumphant smile that said it all: he wasn’t going to take me right here, right now.

“Now, Sunshine, if you’ll excuse me,” he said, readjusting my dress. “I have work to do.”

My first reaction was confusion, then it turned to shock, and then to fury.

He caught my hand before I could slap him, not a hint of a smile on his face. “Next time you want to dump me, remember that karma always has a way of coming back to bite you in the ass,
Sunshine
.”

“Next time you want to get into my panties, make sure you have the door locked. Because next time I might not be not satisfied with your fingers, and you don’t want anyone to see your naked ass at work, do you? Now,
if
you’ll excuse me
,” I said, getting to my feet. “I have more interesting work to do than fucking around with you.” Then I headed for the door and slammed it shut behind me.

“Good morning, Miss,” Stevie said, greeting me, but I was too furious to respond and just nodded my greeting, then I went to my office and leaned back against the closed door.

My heart was beat
ing wildly, my thoughts were a mess, my cheeks were flushed, and the damn aching between my legs made it all worse.
Fucking bastard…

“You have a package from Mr. Altier,” Stevie said through the speakerphone.

What?

“Where is it?” I asked, through the closed door.

“On your desk.”

I rushed to my desk
as if it were on fire. There was a simple white envelope with my name on it, written in a very beautiful and careful handwriting.
Is there anything the asshole does wrong?

I opened the envelope and froze, staring blankly at the picture I found inside. It showed me, sleeping across Dominick’s bed,
with the blanket covering only a part of my back. I could clearly see my face, my hair spread all over the pillow I was embracing, and a part of my breast that was peeking out from under the blanket. My worst fears confirmed — he was an obsessed psycho. 

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

“Did you like the photo?”
The message asked.

“Screw you!”
I typed back. I wanted to scream at him, better yet, I wanted to scream at him and then smack that sexy smile off of his face.
How dare he?

“So you did
like it.”

“When did you take it?”

“Obviously, when you were asleep after a long and pleasurable sexual encounter with me.”

“How many more do you have?”

“Plenty.”

“So you are going to blackmail me?”

“No.”

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“No?”
I typed.

“I don’t think I need to blackmail someone who has alrea
dy given me permission to do WHATEVER I WANT.”

Have I ever regretted anything as much as those stupid
words I just had to say to him in the heat of the moment? I don’t think so. I had no idea he was going to use sex to get revenge on me, or well, I guess he used the idea of sex seeing, as we didn’t actually have sex just a few minutes ago, the fucking tease asshole!

“Where did you put
the rest of the photos? I want them all. NOW!”

There was a pause with the response, and I was sure he made me wait on purpose, knowing how pissed and nervous I was.

“To get them, you will have to work really hard.”

You’ve got to be kidding me…

“Post them anywhere you want. I won’t sleep with you. EVER AGAIN!”

“Wasn’t going to post them.
I have a better idea.”

I had an
unpleasant feeling about the next message from him.
“I will send them to your father and show him what a naughty girl you’ve been,”
it said.

Crap…

“Still not going to sleep with you! I don’t give a shit what you do with the pictures.”

Two could play this
stupid game.

“Tomorrow night, 10:00
o’clock, my place, don’t put on too many clothes.”

Seriously? He thought I would buy it? I laughed nervously, both excited and angry. What the hell? I wasn’t going
to please him by doing what he wished, so what reason would I have to be excited?
Stupid hormones…

“In your dreams!”
I texted, hoping he would back off.

“Come tomorrow and I will tell you anything you want to know about my dreams.”

No fucking way!

I looked
at the message one last time, deleted it and asked Stevie to bring me a cup of coffee. I already wasted too much of my time on that piece of shit who didn’t deserve even one second of it.

Work had always been one of the
best distractions for me. Whenever I needed to switch my attention to something important, I sank into work, making new plans and studying different projects. Focusing had never been a problem. Until yesterday…

Yes, Dominick Altier was good-looking
, smart, and irresistible; but still he was just a man! I met different men every day; most of them were prosperous, many were even attractive. But I never thought about sleeping with any of them, let alone having sex with them in my father’s office. W
hat is wrong with me
? Oh, God, my life couldn’t get any worse…

The moment m
y cell phone rang, I almost jumped out of my skin. It was my father. I answered as quickly as I could.

“Dad? Is
everything all right?” He never called me this early in the morning.
Oh no! Did Dominick send the pictures like he was threatening to do even though he said he wouldn’t if I came to his house tomorrow?

“Yes. It’s even better than all right! Your mom and I have found a wonderful h
ouse with a breathtaking view of the ocean. We want you to come and see it.”

“Wow,
that’s great news. Congratulations! When do you want me to come?”

“How about this weekend?

“Perfect,” I said, thinking it was a great chance to blow the cobwebs away.

“The
n we’ll see you soon, Sunshine!” He said excitedly. “Oh, and one more thing… I also invited Dominick.”

“You did
what
?” I asked incredulous.
I hope I didn’t hear what I thought I heard, he invited Dominick?

“I ask
ed him to join us for a Sunday barbecue.”

“I hope he said
no
,” I blurted without thinking, it just slipped out before I could stop it.

“
Actually, he said
yes
. Is everything okay between you two?” He asked, confused.

Too late
, I remembered how well my father knew me. Even without seeing me, he always knew when something was wrong with me.

“Everything is fine,” I lied
, hoping he wouldn’t catch the uneasiness in my voice.

“I hope so, Darling. I want you two to make a great team!”

I grimaced at the words. All I wanted now was to sink into the floor and never see anyone again, especially that face that was firmly imprinted in my mind.
Shit…

“
See you soon, Dad,” I said in a hurry. I didn’t want him to ask any more questions, so he could hear what
a great
team
Dominick and I could make. My dearest father had no idea how far from the truth he was.
Mr. Altier
and I would never play for the same team…

I couldn’
t stop staring at the clock in my bedroom. It showed 8:30 PM, and it took all of my self-control to not to run to Dominick’s.

“You won’t fall into this trap,” I said to myself. “He wants to trick you again, but you will
not
fall into this… Crap!” I cursed, closing my eyes. The silence in the room was killing me. I could hear every damn tick of the clock, and it didn’t help at all.

Why am
I even considering accepting his shameless invitation?
Maybe because being in his embrace is all you want now? Ugh, why do those always-sleeping voices wake up when you want nothing more than them to shut the hell up? I hated uncertainty. And even more I hated how fast one arrogant, self-centered Frenchie managed to take control over my never-failing self-assurance.

My cell phone buzzed in
my palm, I didn’t even realize I was holding it.

“I’m waiting,”
the message said. And I don’t know why, but it only made the butterflies in my stomach go wild.
Stupid traitors…

Okay… I took a deep breath and started trying to think of a way to make this
meeting
work. I could go to Dominick’s and simply try to make him change his sick and twisted mind and give me the rest of the pictures he had taken. On the one hand, it seemed as easy as pie. On the other hand, I had no idea how to do that and keep my clothes on at the same time. Then I remembered his message about him not wanting me to wear many clothes and shivered once more at the thought of letting him take them off. Not that I didn’t want him to do that…

I rose to
my feet and started pacing the room, trying to think about anything else except the pleasant sensations rushing through me at the thought of giving in and driving straight to Dominick’s.

I tried my best to ignore his messages and calls; I
even managed to not run into him for the entire day. Stevie said he asked about me during lunch, but I said I didn’t want to hear any messages from him, unless he had any questions about my work, so in other words, if it wasn’t urgent she should keep it to herself; I didn’t have time for his petty games.

“Your hiding-in-your-work
-cave tactic won’t work forever,” Jill said, entering my office when I was just about to leave.

“I’m not hiding from anyone,” I snapped back.

She gave me an all-knowing look and shook her head, saying, “You two are like two children fighting over a piece of candy or each other’s toys.”

“Leave y
our dirty comparisons for later,” I said and glared at her.

She laughed quietly behind me. “I didn’t mean anything dirty, but if your mind automatically puts Dominick and
a piece of candy or a toy in a dirty fantasy, you should seriously think about taking the pressure off of your tensed lower-body muscles.”

I rolled my eyes. “I am not
even thinking about Dominick. Okay?”

“If you say so,” she said with a small grin that told me she knew I was lying.

“Why are we even talking about me?” I asked, turning to face her. “I called you last night and your sister said that you were on a date. Who’s the lucky guy? Do I know him?”

She hesitated with a reply,
it was so unlike the girl who never knew how to stop the flood of words flying out of her lips.

“
No,” she said, flipping through one of the magazines on my desk. “You don’t know him.”

I raised my eyebrows, surprised
at her reddening face. “What is this cheeks-blushing thing about? You don’t usually get embarrassed talking about your conquests.”

She smiled mischievously and said
, “You won’t believe it.”

“That only
makes me even more curious.”

“
His name is Mark. We met at the club the night you and my boss... Never mind,” she shook her head. “So he asked me out. And I liked our date. A lot.”

“Wait, it was the day before yesterday
and I am just now hearing about it without you telling me, but your sister? And last night you were with him again?”

“Yep.”

“Wow… Two nights in a row with the same guy! Are you going to set a new personal record?” I grinned wickedly.

“Shut up.” She laughed. “I like him
.” She lowered her eyes to the floor to hide her expression.

“This is exactly what you say about every new guy you date.”

“Not
every
new guy. I didn’t say it about my new boss.”

I waved it off. “He doesn’t count
, you didn’t go on a date with him.”

“I think
that Mark might be different from anyone I have ever dated. He’s kind and sweet and such a great kisser. And his hands can do real magic to my-”

I cut her off,
“Okay, I got the point. You liked sleeping with him. But let me remind you that this is not the first time it has happened.”

“Yes, but it is
still different.”

“Okay,
I’ll accept that for the time being. Now, why don’t we call it a day?”

“Are you going to accept Dominick’s invitation?”

“No.” I was being short, but I didn’t think it needed an explanation.

“Are you sure about that?
He looked very excited when he asked me to give you his address.” The pig had some nerve to involve my best friend into his sick mind games.

“I
’ll bet he did.”

“And?” S
he asked, watching me expectedly.

“
And
as I have already said, I’m not going anywhere but home.”

It was the end of my conversation with Jillia
n, and at that very moment, I was sure as hell I wouldn’t change my mind.

Now, standing in front of the mirror in my bathroom, I was wondering
how far this game with the devil would go? In the end, there was only one way to find out…

Following Dominick’s instructions
, I didn’t bother putting on too many clothes. I was even a little curious about what his reaction to my outfit would be. Even though I hadn’t had any serious (or any relationships at all for that matter) during the last seven years, I still adored lingerie that made me feel feminine and beautiful, and my closet was full of little lacy pieces that deserved precise exploration.

The closer I got to his house, the less I could control my nerves. Once or twice, I missed green lights on cross streets and was rewarded with loud beeping cars and a few very descriptive
compliments
on my driving skills from the drivers behind me. By the time I stopped at Dominick’s driveway, I thought I wouldn’t be able to get out of my car. My knees were trembling badly.

As if feeling my
hesitation, the devil sent me a text message.

“The gates are locked. No turning
back now.”

“Thanks for the warning
,”
I replied, thinking that he was probably the only person in the world texting his guest instead of getting his ass out of the house and inviting her in.

I took a deep breath, looked one last time at my reflection in a small mirror
, and went to the house that I thought I would never visit again.

To my relief, the doors were
not locked, so I pushed them open and let myself in.

“Don’t you think it’s a litt
le surreal to be back here?” The familiar voice asked.

Slowly,
I turned to my left and saw the house’s and the voice’s owner leaning leisurely against a staircase. Somehow, I didn’t notice it last time I was here. He was wearing a simple white shirt, with a few of the upper buttons undone, and a pair of pale-blue jeans that I never would have expected to see on someone like him. They were hanging dangerously low on his hips, and I could swear he wasn’t wearing anything underneath them. I didn’t take him for the low-pale-blue-jean-commando type.

“
Mr. Altier
, good to see you again,” I said, hoping to sound calm, and formal, professional even; when in reality, every inch of my body was on high-alert.

He
smirked, coming closer. “I thought we were finished with
Mr.
and
Miss
,
ma Belle de nuit
.” He brushed my cheek with the back of his hand and I almost forgot how to breathe when his other hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer.

“You
sure know how to make a man wait,” he said softly.

“I didn’t realize
I was late.”

“You aren’t late
. But I have been waiting for this moment since the night you left me alone in my bed.” His eyes were shining brightly and for just a split second, I thought he couldn’t be real, like a beautiful picture that you could only look at but not touch.

He bent and
placed a small kiss on the corner of my lips, as if he were teasing me, testing me, trying to find out if I was ready for more. And damn it, I definitely was…

I wrapped my arms around his neck, my eyes travelled down the sharp lines of his face and stopped at his full lips, that I couldn’t wait to taste again.

“No half-way stops this time,” I said, before taking the final step into his welcoming embrace and covering his lips with mine.

I didn’t have to wait long for his response. The moment our lips met, his embrace tightened and I felt
his teeth biting my lower lip slightly, and then the kiss deepened, his tongue mingled with mine.

The surroundings blurred so fast, I closed my eyes
and dived into the ocean of sweet sensations that were dancing under my skin, hoping for this moment to last as long as possible, maybe even forever.

I felt Dominick’s fing
ers on the back of my neck, working their way up, tangling in my hair, pulling it lightly while he was sucking my tongue with the same rhythmic precision, and making all the doubts in my mind come crashing down hopelessly fast.

“I love the taste of your lips,” he whispered, breaking the kiss. “I love your scent, and even more
than that, I love the small sounds you make when my fingers are inside you, pulling in and out and making you go wild.”

My heart
fluttered at the memory. My hands travelled down his shirt and slipped under it, welcoming the warmth of his skin touching mine. A sexy smirk twisted his lips as he reached for the belt on my coat and pulled it slowly, making my coat fall open.

It was the moment that I had been waiting for
on the drive to his house. I even stopped breathing, watching his reaction. He looked stunned, and I bet, he expected me to be wearing anything else except what I was actually wearing under my coat.

“This,” he said, studying
me from head to toe, “is the most mind-blowing outfit I had ever seen.”

I smiled, pleased. “I’m glad you like it
.” I knew he would be surprised that I heeded his instructions to wear little clothing, he probably figured I would wear a chastity belt, so I knew I was going to catch him off guard with my lingerie instead.

Our eye
s met again and I was taken aback by the intensity of his gaze. “
Like
is not a strong enough word,” he said, looking down at the dark-blue lacy corset, combined with the matching thong and black thigh-high stockings with a garter; with black, red-soled Louboutin pumps.

“
I’m speechlessly-amazed,” he added in a low voice. And then, something changed in his eyes. “How often do you dress up like this?”

I smirked. “Why? Are you jealous about my other
friends
?”

“
Just so you know, I don’t share,” he said with the accent that suddenly became more noticeable.
Was he nervous?

“You won’t have
to. I’m not a cheater, you know? I do not sleep around.”

Relief flooded
his usually unreadable face. “Good. Why don’t we have a drink then,” he said, leading me into his living-room. I didn’t remember how big it was, his house that is. Huge windows opened into a backyard with pitch-black night sky dotted with bright white glimmering stars. 

“Why do you live so far away from the city?” I
asked, dropping my coat to one of the chairs. “Isn’t it annoying to get up two hours earlier just to be at work on time?”

He didn’t reply.

“Dominick?” I turned around and saw him starring at my outfit again.

“I can hardly think, seeing you like
this.”

Men, why
do they always become so helpless when they see a half-naked woman? She doesn’t even have to be standing right in front of them like I am now, she can be on a magazine cover and their thinking brain goes straight to their cock, making them incapable of normal conversation.