Authors: Cat Grant
EntangledTrio (2 page)
“I could indeed,” she replied, taking a long, grateful sip. “Does it show that badly?”
“What, that you’d rather be in bed?” He shrugged, raking a hand through his short, gray-flecked hair. “I’d venture to guess we all feel the same. Speaking of which, where’s our young Samson?”
She shot him a sharp look. “I’m sure he’ll be along shortly.”
“Really?” He lowered his voice. “I could’ve sworn I saw him heading toward your dressing room earlier.”
Oh merde!
“And I thought we’d been so careful.”
“You have, my dear—but unfortunately, Mr. Lewis needs a bit more practice in playing his cards closer to the vest. Anyone with a pair of functioning eyes could see he’s been a lost cause ever since you two started rehearsing the seduction scene.”
Colette remembered that day vividly. She and David had been singing Samson and Delilah’s sensuous love duet, blocking out the movements their stage director had given them, when David suddenly fell to his knees. At first it startled her, but he’d kept on singing, so she simply assumed he’d gotten caught up in his acting. But one look in his eyes told her his passion wasn’t the least bit fake—and a quick glance at the rise in his jeans confirmed it. She’d taken him to her bed for the first time that night.
Another sip, this time accompanied by a sigh. “So
everyone
here knows?” she asked.
“They probably suspect, though I doubt they care enough to start telling tales. Not that any of us have room to throw stones.” The corners of his eyes crinkled. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”
Easy for him to say. If there was one thing Colette detested, it was gossip. The thought of becoming the object of sniggering innuendo made her shudder. Aleks wouldn’t be too happy about it either.
She’d just opened her mouth to reply when in walked David. He smiled, waved and made his way around the table, shaking hands and bestowing hugs. When he finally reached Colette, their eyes locked. Then she turned her head, offering her cheek for a kiss. His silky-soft lips lingered there a second or two longer than strictly necessary. She hoped no one else noticed the warm flush spreading across her cheeks, or the pulse in her throat throbbing like a nervous hummingbird.
It didn’t help that David took the seat directly across from her, then poured himself a glass of champagne. Colette’s heart nearly skidded to a halt when he reached for her hand, the pad of his thumb gently skimming her wrist. The tiny scrape he’d put there smarted and tingled at his touch. She couldn’t keep from squirming in her seat.
“No bandage?” he remarked, one corner of his mouth quirked up in an infuriating half-smirk. “Maybe I should kiss it better.”
What was he thinking, flirting with her so openly? Perhaps he’d decided that since this was their last night, they had nothing left to lose. She glanced down at the small pink mark on her wrist with feigned detachment. “I have no idea where that came from.”
And I’m warning you, drop this now
, she telegraphed with a pointed look. Whether everyone already knew about their affair was irrelevant. He was mocking her, and she didn’t like it.
David simply shrugged, then started chatting with Michel as if nothing were amiss.
God, this was insane. She wasn’t cut out for these types of games. She’d explained the need for discretion to him from the very beginning. She thought he’d understood. All her past lovers had. They’d been happy to take what she offered and never press her for more. None of them had ever done what David was doing now, silently challenging her, taunting her with every casual flick of his eyes.
None of them had ever gotten under her skin like this.
She finished her glass of champagne, shaking her head when Nicholas tried to pour her another. Alcohol dried out her throat and made her sleepy, even under the best circumstances. When the waiter came by she was tempted to order a small salad, but her stomach was too twisted up in knots. She couldn’t stand it. She needed to get out of here.
Luckily, David rose a few minutes later and headed down the hallway to the men’s room. It was the coward’s way out, but better this than another hour of strained silence and furtive glances. Colette sprang up and said her goodbyes as quickly as possible, then grabbed her coat and darted from the restaurant. Her car waited for her across the street. She climbed in, heart stuttering in her chest when David emerged from the bistro’s entrance and sprinted in her direction, trying to wave her down.
“Go!
Now!
” she snapped. Her driver was already pulling away from the curb.
The two-bedroom apartment she and Aleks used whenever they were in town lay in a quiet, upscale neighborhood not far from the opera house. Colette had never been so happy to throw on her robe and brew herself a cup of chamomile. It usually did the trick whenever she had an upset stomach, but the doorbell’s insistent buzz interrupted her before she’d taken her second sip.
Of course, it had to be David. He’d visited her here half a dozen times over the past few weeks. Now she could’ve kicked herself for not insisting they meet at his hotel.
The bell rang again. And again. Then he started knocking, loudly and persistently. She’d hoped by now he would’ve figured out she didn’t want to talk to him, but it seemed there was little chance of that. Better get rid of him before her neighbors called the police.
She set her cup down on the round mahogany side table and heaved herself off the couch with a groan, then marched over to the door, sucked in a breath and opened it. She’d expected him to be angry, but he looked more sad than anything else. Crushed, actually. Like a puppy whose owners had gone off on holiday and never came back.
“You didn’t tell me goodbye,” he said softly, accusingly.
“I’m sorry. I thought it was for the best.”
“Why the hell would you think that?”
His voice was rising. Not good. She needed to quell this outburst right now. “It’s my fault. Somehow I must have given you the impression that this was… That I could offer you more than what we’ve had these past few weeks.” Another breath, and then, “It’s over, David. You need to understand that.”
He stared at her, shoving his hands in his pockets. Finally he shook his head. “No. I don’t understand it, and I don’t accept it.”
“But…I explained to you from the beginning that this couldn’t be permanent—”
“Yeah, I know. But I remember everything you said—and everything you did—all those times we fucked. I remember the way you held onto me in the mornings, like you couldn’t bear to let me go. People don’t do things like that if they don’t fucking
care
.”
The apartment door down the hall cracked open and a gray head poked out. Oh wonderful. Exactly what she’d hoped to avoid. Tamping down a sigh, she grabbed David’s sleeve and yanked him inside.
She managed to get the door shut before rounding on him with her deadliest glare. “Why are you being so stubborn about this? You do realize I’m
leaving
tomorrow?”
“To go back to your husband?”
“Yes! I told you that weeks ago. I’m happily married.”
“Now I
know
that’s bullshit. Happily married people don’t have affairs.”
“What do you know about it?” she snapped. “Have you ever been separated from someone you love for months at a time? Do you have any idea how lonely it is?” He didn’t have a quick answer—luckily for him, since she was poised to slap him if he tried. “You provincial Americans with your holier-than-thou morality. How
dare
you judge me!”
Now he looked as stunned as if she actually had slapped him, minus the angry red imprint of her hand across his face. “I’m sorry. But I care about you, Colette. I can’t just flick my feelings off like a light switch.”
“What makes you think
I
can?”
“Then…” He reached for her hand, carrying it to his lips to press a soft kiss to her palm. “Give me one last night with you, so we can say a proper goodbye.
Please.
”
She should’ve seen this coming. On some level she
had
seen this coming, and she’d let him in anyway. Did that mean she actually
wanted
him to stay? But this wasn’t about what either of them wanted. She had to make him understand what had happened between them was now firmly in the past.
“We can’t,” she said softly. “I’m sorry. I have someone waiting for me, and—”
“And I’m not him. Believe me, I get it. But what if I could give you something he can’t?”
“What do you mean?”
He sank to his knees, just like at rehearsal a few weeks ago. Then he lifted the hem of her robe and planted sweet, delicate kisses on both her feet. An instantaneous surge of arousal tore through her, stiffening her nipples, making the room shimmy before her eyes. Trembling, she flailed out with one hand, latching onto a nearby armchair to steady herself. “H-How did you…?”
“I remember how you reacted the first time I knelt down in front of you. It’s the reason you wanted me, isn’t it?”
Every last drop of blood in her body had rushed into her face—at least, that’s what it felt like. He’d seen her naked plenty of times. He’d fucked her in any number of positions, and she’d loved every second. He’d made her see God, the angels and entire new universes when she came. All that, and yet he still had the power to make her blush. He’d found the one secret she had left—the longing to be in control. The one thing Aleks would never let her have.
“Take me, Colette. Do whatever you want with me. It’s what I’ve wanted from that first night.”
She reached out and grabbed hold of his chin, tipping it upward so that he met her eyes. “Have you ever done anything like this with anyone else?”
A moment’s hesitation, then he licked his lips. “Once or twice.”
“With women? Men?”
“Women. Both times.”
“Different women?”
He nodded.
“And you didn’t want to repeat the experience with either of them?”
“It was…really intense. It scared me.”
But obviously not so much that he didn’t want to do it again. Well, if it proved a disappointment, at least the morning-after awkwardness would be short-lived. Truth be told, she wanted this as much as he did. The mere thought of having him at her complete and utter command had started a river running between her thighs. Her clit ached so badly, she’d probably come at the tiniest flick of his tongue—not that she was about to let him touch her yet. He’d have to earn that privilege.
And he might as well start now. “Take off your clothes.” But when he started to get up, she shook her head, her lips spreading in a tight smile. “Stay where you are. I have to admit, you look rather fetching down there.”
He smiled back, then peeled off his jacket and began to unbutton his crisp white dress shirt. First the cuffs, followed by the neck—one button, then another, revealing a sweet pinkish-cream patch of skin at the base of his throat. His fingers shook so badly it took him twice as long as it should have to get them all undone. At last he shrugged out of his shirt, his chest rising and falling much more rapidly than it had a few minutes ago, pebbled gooseflesh popping up all over his arms, shoulders and back. Obviously turned-on, yet still apprehensive. Good. She’d give him something to be nervous about.
“You’re not finished,” she pointed out sharply. “Off with the pants.”
“It’s going to be a bit tricky if you won’t let me stand up.”
“Take them down as far as your knees then.”
Swallowing hard, he unbuckled, unzipped and slowly slid down his jeans and boxers. Already at full attention, his cock sprang up, the tip smeared with shiny pre-come. It was a lovely cock, thick and rosy, long enough to fill her up but not so big that accommodating him caused her pain. She ached to take it in her mouth—but not yet.
Circling around to the back of him, she took a moment to admire his firm, well-muscled derriere. He ran practically every day, and it showed. Too bad the skin was so pale, but she had the perfect remedy for that.
“Hands and knees,” she ordered. But rather than complying, he turned to give her a puzzled glance. She brought her palm down hard on his left cheek, the resulting smack echoing in the room’s still air. Despite his obvious surprise, David didn’t cry out, just sucked in a sharp, gusty breath and fell forward onto his hands, presenting his ass to her.
“May I have another, Ma’am?” he asked softly.
He caught on quickly. She liked that in a man. Running her nails over the bright pink mark she’d left, she smiled at his tiny gasp, then started pinching and caressing the round, tender flesh. He had those adorable little dimples at the small of his back, right above his buttocks. It looked as if angels had kissed him there. And why not? It was a backside well worth kissing.
She couldn’t resist. Crouching down, she pressed her lips to one dimple, then the other. Once she’d lulled him into a false sense of security, she pulled back and slapped his ass hard with both hands. This time he let out a startled yelp.
“Two at once,” she purred. “Aren’t I generous?” And two more for good measure, right on top of the handprints she’d already left. Both cheeks had taken on a nice, rosy glow. Her palms were the same shade, stinging from repeated impact, her back already becoming stiff from bending over. No doubt David was well on his way to a beautiful case of rug burn on his palms and knees. Best to continue this in a more comfortable location.
“Get up,” she ordered, nodding at his pants as he did so. “Take those off, but bring them with you.”
He gave her another puzzled look but nevertheless followed obediently as she led the way into the bedroom. He started to climb up on the bed, but she stopped him with an abrupt shake of her head.
“We’re not done yet. Over there.” She pointed at the wall. “Brace yourself against it.”
He hesitated a moment, then placed both hands flat against the wall while holding the rest of his body away from it, his ass once again prominently displayed. But this time when she drew her nails across his flesh, he let out a sound somewhere between a whimper and a strangled moan.
“Do you want to stop? I don’t hear a safe word.” Which wasn’t surprising, since they hadn’t agreed on one. His skin felt a bit warm but hadn’t swollen to the critical point yet. However, if she kept smacking him so hard, her poor hands would be even more bruised than he’d be tomorrow. “When you’ve had enough, say ‘mercy’.” She spied his pants lying on the bed and tugged his belt free. Then, clasping it by the buckle, she snapped the thick leather across his buttocks. The impact, along with his loud gasp, fired a lightning bolt of fresh arousal straight to her clit. A vivid deep-red stripe blossomed on his skin. “I still don’t hear it.”
Hanging his head, he sucked in air like a drowning man about to go under for the last time. Or was that actually a sob?
She slid her hand onto his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Do you want to stop,
mon cheri
? Tell me.”
“Only if…if you want to.”
So sweet, so brave. She’d witnessed this kind of reaction to a beating before, though she was usually on the receiving end. It could be traumatic—or, if handled correctly, an incredibly cathartic experience. Perhaps he’d had enough, and she shouldn’t try to push him further. But he was already halfway there, a stone’s throw from amazing ecstasy. It would be a shame to shy away from it—especially when they’d never have another chance.
“Three more,” she whispered into his ear. “One after another, no stopping. Count them off for me.” Standing back, she readied herself for the first blow, and down came the belt. It landed right below the first stripe with a loud thwack that split the air like a gunshot.
“O-One.”
“Very good. And again.” Another precise hit, striking in the soft, sensitive crease between his thighs and buttocks. Breath hissed through his teeth. His arms and legs trembled, taut with tension, but still he held on.
“Two…Ma’am.”
She didn’t give him a warning this time, just pulled her arm back and swung. The blow knocked him into the wall, ripping a ragged cry from his throat. Colette dropped the belt, wrapped her arms around him and helped him stagger to the bed. He stared up at her, eyes bright and shiny, relieved laughter spilling from his gorgeous lips. “Three,” he rasped. “God, that was fucking amazing.”
Ah, endorphins—the only way to fly. In truth, she was rather envious. It’d been weeks since Aleks had taken her in hand. No wonder there was this awful wave of heat now rushing through her, setting her every nerve ending ablaze. He’d had his release. It was time for hers.
Sweat prickled through her pores, slicking her from neck to waist before she could tear off her robe. She’d intended to straddle David’s face and let him bring her to orgasm with his mouth again, until he rolled over beside her, his still-rampant erection pressed against her belly. Obviously his ecstasy hadn’t been quite
that
ecstatic. Fine then. She’d much rather have his cock.
Every instinct told her to simply climb on, but she held her lust in check long enough to fish a condom from the bedside table and hastily roll it on him. On a whim, she grabbed the silk belt from her robe, looped it around his wrists and through a wooden rung in the headboard. It wouldn’t hold if he struggled too vigorously, but she had a feeling this would be a short ride.
“Don’t you dare come before I do,” she said, positioning herself over his cock, then sat down slowly. It slid home like hot, hard heaven, the deep-seated ache inside her threatening to spill over. She tried to slow down, but it was no use. Her arousal had kicked into overdrive, long, shuddering spasms shaking her the moment she began to move.
David’s eyes went wide. “Colette, please… I can’t hold on—” Gazes locked, they climaxed together, moaning and thrusting until Colette slumped forward, collapsing in a spent, sweaty heap on top of him.