The Mogul (8 page)

Her cell phone rang, and she answered it without looking to see who it was.

“Girl, where the hell have you been?” Esther said.

Candace smiled. It was good to hear the songstress’s voice again. “Hi, Esther. I’m sorry. I’ve just had a lot of stuff going on.”

“We need to talk, honey. Where do you want to meet?”

Candace sat up. “There’s a Good Earth coffee shop on
Fairfax
. How about meeting there for coffee in about an hour?”

“I’ll be there.”

* * * *

The Good Earth coffee shop was a place where the whole neighborhood seemed to come to work on their laptops. Usually it was packed, but Candace had timed their visit to be just after lunch, and most of the early morning crowd had already left. She spotted Esther in a corner of the shop, bought two cups of coffee, and met her there.

Esther took her coffee gratefully. “Thank you, honey.”

Candace sat across from her and dumped a handful of sugar and cream packets on the table. Esther set about flavoring her drink.

“So what did you have to talk to me about?” Candace asked.

“I wanted to ask, what did you do to Mark?”

“Why, what do you mean?”

“He’s not the same man, Candy. He kind of mopes around, constantly checking his phone, and forgets everything you tell him five seconds after the words have left your mouth. He’s calling you, isn’t he?”

Candace leaned back in her chair and watched the cars drive past outside. “Can I ask you a question, and I need complete honesty.”

“You can ask me anything.”

“Did he ever have a relationship with Jenny?”

“No, honey, those two are much too different to be together. Why?”

“I don’t know. I guess I just got worried he wasn’t serious. We had fun together, but things seem to have gotten really intense all of a sudden. I’m just not sure yet.”

“I understand, but if you want my opinion, I think he’s really crazy about you, Candy. Now don’t get me wrong, Mark is a lot of things, and some of them I don’t particularly like, but I’ve never known him to use a woman.”

“Do you think I’m being silly to be so cautious?”

“No, not at all. It’s your heart at stake. But if your reason for not getting together with Mark is because you think he only wants a good time, I would say that’s the wrong reason. He has women throwing themselves at him all day long. He doesn’t want them. He wants you.”

Candace smiled. “Thanks. I feel better.”

“Anytime, honey. Anytime at all.”

Chapter Fifteen

Mark was at home watching the evening news when a text beeped on his phone. It was Candy, and his heart filled with joy. She was coming over. He didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing. She’d be there in ten minutes. He told the maid to leave the door unlocked and wished her a good night.

A few minutes later, he heard someone come in. High-heel shoes clicked across the tile floor as she approached. Just the idea of her creeping into his house brought his cock to painful and immediate attention. He marveled at how powerful and consuming his attraction to her was. He glanced up as she glided into the living room, and couldn’t look away.

She was dressed in a skintight Catwoman costume. Her movements were smooth and graceful as she crossed the room and came to stand right in front of the TV. Her stunning face was partially covered in a catlike mask that highlighted her beautiful brown eyes and sensuous lips. In that moment he knew for certain what he’d long suspected: she was the one. Of all the women who’d been in his life, both past and present, none made him feel as passionate and excited as she.

“Who are you?” he asked, playing with her. “What are you doing here?”

She took a few steps forward, and her shapely hips swung back and forth with unbearable grace. He tried to stay cool, but inside he was going wild. A desire as fierce as any animal’s was born inside him, and he had to consciously restrain himself from reaching for her. This was her game. He needed to let her play it.

“I’ve heard you’re friends with the Batman,” Candy purred. She took out a pair of handcuffs and swung them around her index finger playfully.

He tried to say he was, but the only thing that emerged from his mouth was a croak. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She had to be the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen. He settled for a stiff nod.

“Well then, I don’t like the company you keep. I’ve come to teach you a lesson.” Candy prowled over and grabbed him by his tie. She pulled him to his feet and dragged him over to the dining room.

His cock was so stiff he thought it was going to snap off. “What are you going to do to me?”

She pulled him up close and placed a delicate kiss on his lips. He tried to kiss her back, but she pushed him away. Her brown eyes pierced his. “You need to be punished.”

She unfastened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. Then she sat him on the floor by one of the thick table legs. She handcuffed his hands behind his back, anchoring them by looping them around the leg. A current of raw emotion flooded his soul. He wanted to hold and kiss her, but he knew begging to touch her would spoil the game. He chose instead to stay silent.

With nimble manicured hands, she unzipped his pants and freed his throbbing cock. She leaned back in mock surprise. “Look what a bad boy you are. How come you’re so horny? Do you want to fuck me?”

His body hummed with excitement. “Yes. But first, may I please eat your pussy?”

Candy looked thoughtful at this, then smiled. She stood before him and slid her tight Catwoman pants down to just below her knees. Then she went down on her hands and knees and backed up close enough so he could reach her with his mouth.

The sweetness of her scent filled him, and he eagerly buried his face in her sex. His arms ached in protest, but she was so wet and yielding he thought he might orgasm from just his tongue probing her. A tender moan escaped her, and he was encouraged to lick deeper, harder, faster. His tongue became a surrogate for his cock, thrusting into the hot channel of his beloved. Not being able to reach her with his hands was agony.

She moaned, and its music was joy itself. “Lick my clit faster,” she commanded.

Mark did as she asked, flicking his tongue over her swollen bud as fast as he could. It grew larger under his lapping, and soon she was crying out and pulling back from his desperate tongue.

Candy turned around and knelt over his lap. His cock pointed at her pussy like an accusation. She wrapped her hand around his shaft and massaged his cock up and down several times, smiling at the moisture that formed at the tip. She straddled him and pointed the tip at her threshold. She lowered down on him slowly and easily so he wouldn’t lose his passion too quickly.

They stayed like that for a moment, until he said, “Okay.”

She bounced on his cock, driving it deep inside her. “My pussy is so wet.”

“Yes, yes, it is.” His voice didn’t sound like his own. It was the voice of a beast rutting in the forest. His excitement rose to unparalleled heights. “You’re so sexy, Candy. You make me so hot.”

Candy thrust down faster on his cock, lost in her pleasure. “Fuck it, fuck my pussy.”

Despite his awkward position, Mark worked to fulfill her lusty cries. He bucked his hips up off the floor, ignoring the discomfort in his bound wrists as he did so. “Take it all in, my beautiful Candy. Fuck it . . . Yes, that’s right, fuck my big, hard cock.”

Her cries became more frantic as she stole her pleasure from him. His whole body had been reduced to his cock and the grip of her slick muscles around it. Then he felt the muscles around her pussy contract and tighten, milking his cock of its seed.

Candy let out a breathless laugh and got off him. His cock grew cold in the open air, and he missed the comforting heat of her body. She took the handcuffs off his wrists and gasped.

She placed gentle hands over his wrists. “Oh my God, Mark! Why didn’t you say something? These damn handcuffs have cut into your skin.”

Mark couldn’t have cared less about his injury. He lifted his wrists from her hands and cupped her face. For a long time, all he could do was stare into her eyes. He wanted to tell her so much. He wanted to tell her how much he cared for her and how they needed to be together.

Finally he settled for, “Are you coming back to be my partner?”

“Partners with benefits?” she joked.

“No, more than that. Lovers who are business partners.”

Her brow wrinkled. “Did you mean it when you told me you loved me the other night?”

“I never say anything I don’t mean.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Mark. But I still don’t know how I feel. I mean, I care for you deeply, but I’m not sure if I’d call it love yet.”

“That doesn’t matter. All that matters is that we’re together. That’s all I want. I’ll take whatever kind of relationship you want. The only thing I won’t be able to handle is if you see other men.”

She smiled, and it lit up the room. “There are no other men. I want to be with you.”

“So are we partners then?”

She held her hand out, and he shook it. “Partners it is.”

Epilogue

One Year Later

Candace sat in the studio’s film library, lounging in a plush wing chair. The chair was her favorite, as it looked over a stunning garden just beyond the large library window. She couldn’t believe it had been a whole year since she’d agreed to be Mark’s partner. So much had happened so quickly that it all seemed surreal. But one of the best things that happened was her feelings for him had matured and grown. No longer was she confused about how she felt, she knew it was love. It sounded wild and crazy, but Candace Wilson was in love for the first time in her life. Just the thought made her giddy with happiness.

She chewed her bottom lip and glanced down at her watch. She wondered how much longer he’d be.

Mark was with the studio bigwigs while they watched the final edited version of the
Chicago
movie. Although she was warmly invited to attend, she’d decided to wait in here for Mark to tell her what the verdict was. She’d seen the film so many times in production she’d lost her ability to judge if it was any good or not. She also wouldn’t be able to take the expressions on the executives’ faces if they didn’t like it. No, it was much better to wait here for Mark to come and tell her whether or not they still had a career.

Candace heard the electronic doors swish open and close again. Mark came in and took the identical chair directly next to hers. She tried to read the expression on his face, but it was blank.

A sinking feeling filled her stomach. They must have hated it. All those long hours and months of production meetings and coddling of stars had been a big waste of time. Well, she could always go back to her law career.

“Well?” she asked, steeling herself for the bad news. “What did they say?”

He grinned and looked at her. His eyes seemed to glow with childlike excitement. “They fucking loved it. They’re even talking Oscar material.”

“What?” Candace said, leaning forward in her chair. She’d heard the words of what he’d said, but couldn’t connect them with her expectations. This was incredible.

He grabbed her upper arms and squeezed. “I said they loved it.”