Wicked Heat (11 page)

“Good.” He nodded his approval. “Now spread your legs.”

Allegra’s resolve faltered. It was one thing being naked when the two of them were
going at it, but lying before him, revealing all?

He stood and moved toward the end of the bed. His fingertips brushed her ankle and
she quivered. “Like this,” he said, cradling her heel in his hand as if she were made
of glass, and sliding her leg to the right, his gaze locked on hers.

She watched as he did the same with her left leg, never breaking eye contact. The
sincerity she glimpsed helped ease her jumpiness. Until he picked up the silk scarves.

This time he didn’t speak as he bound her ankles to the bed’s chrome frame. Her shallow
breathing was the only sound in the room as he tugged on her bindings. Apparently
satisfied they’d hold, he stood at the foot of the bed, his hungry gaze fixed shamelessly
on where she throbbed.

“Beautiful,” he said, a fingertip starting at her ankle and sliding upward with excruciating
slowness. Her skin pebbled as he skimmed her knee, traced the contour of her inner
thigh, before delving in her dampness.

She arched off the bed, half sitting up, but he shook his head. “Can’t have you moving
around with what I’ve got planned.”

His wicked smile almost made her come as he placed a palm on her chest and eased her
back onto the bed.

“Place your arms overhead.” He snagged the handcuffs and dangled them overhead. “Once
these are on, you’ll be completely at my mercy. Think you can handle it?”

The thought of handing over complete control to anyone, least of all a guy she’d known
less than a week, petrified her. But Jett had never made her feel anything but special
and she trusted him. Foolish? Maybe. But Allegra had come this far. No way would she
back out now.

She nodded, her hair rustling on the pillow. “Do it.”

He snapped the handcuffs in place and she tried lowering her wrists. To no avail.
She was bound tight. Spread-eagled before him. Ready, willing, and embarrassingly
wet.

“God, you’re gorgeous.” His gaze started at her fingertips and worked its way down,
lingering on her breasts, her Brazilian, his increasing shortness of breath matching
hers. “I’m glad these rooms are soundproof because I’m going to tease you ’til you
scream.”

A needy whimper escaped Allegra’s lips as she watched Jett strip. He didn’t make a
show of it and she appreciated the speed. The sooner he got naked and down to business—her—the
better.

The bed dipped as he settled between her legs, his warm breath fanning the bundle
of nerves that needed barely a flick before sending an orgasm slamming through her.
Her breathing grew choppy as he lowered his head. Closer. So exquisitely close…

She tensed, every muscle in her body coiled in anticipation of that first, delicious
sweep of his tongue.

Then he did the unthinkable.

He bypassed the target.

“Jett…,” she warned, lifting her pelvis toward his mouth.

He grinned and swiped his tongue along her inner thigh in one, long, teasing sweep.
“Patience.”

His hot tongue glided up her thigh, across her stomach, and down the other side, skirting
around the one area that would combust if he didn’t pay attention to it soon.

She writhed as he nipped the tender skin of her groin, the sharp pull of her restraints
ramping up the tension, making her body zing. As he inched closer to where she wanted
him most, the maddening throb escalated until it was all she could focus on.

That’s when the tip of his tongue flicked her clit.

Her hips jolted and surged upward, her body thrashing, but only as far as his bindings
allowed. She was at his mercy. Totally powerless. And as his lips fastened on her
and his tongue swirled over her clit, she’d never been happier to relinquish control.

He slid one finger into her, another, pumping into her slickness as he sucked her,
pushing her over the edge so damn fast she almost blacked out.

She shattered under the intensity of an orgasm that defied logic, screaming so loud
her throat hurt.

Stunned, she lay there, her body burning and languid and sated, needing time to recover.
But Jett didn’t give it to her. Instead, his tongue snaked out to lick her again,
sending an almost painful jolt through her.

“Oh my God, Jett, you can’t…give me a minute…”

He didn’t, lapping at her like he’d never get enough. To her amazement the pressure
built again, coiling through her body, shocking in its intensity. She tugged at her
restraints, wriggling and writhing, mindless with wanting whatever he had to give.

His teeth bit lightly on her clit and she screamed again as wave after wave of undiluted
pleasure washed over her, leaving her boneless and spent.

“Hey, you still with me?”

Her eyelids fluttered open to find Jett lying beside her, within kissing distance,
a smug grin illuminating his face.

She grunted in response.

He chuckled. “Fuck, do you have any idea how hot that was?”

“Yeah,” she mumbled, her head lolling to the side so she could see him. “Your turn?”

“Hell no.” His palm rested on her belly and stroked lower. “I like having you as my
very own plaything.”

“Just because I’m tied up doesn’t mean I can’t be the master for a little while,”
she said, trying her best demure smile. “I order you to fuck me. Now.”

“Yes, Master.” He gave a funny half salute. “Just so you know, hearing you talk dirty
is almost as big a turn-on as having you tied up, wet, on full display.”

She moaned and he swallowed it with a kiss that ravaged. Allegra was only barely aware
of the rip of a foil packet before Jett was inside her with a hard thrust, stretching
and filling her until she thought her raw nerve endings couldn’t take it any more.

If she’d thought being licked by him while restrained had been hot, having him pound
into her with fierce determination ratcheted her excitement to a whole new level.

She longed to touch him, to caress him, to grab his ass and hold on for dear life.
But she couldn’t and when he slid hid hands under her, lifted her hips, and drove
deeper, she came apart again.

With another two thrusts Jett yelled her name and collapsed on top of her, his weight
the one normality in this titillating encounter.

She’d had him lie on top of her before after sex. But never had she had this kind
of sex or the stunning aftermath. Like every muscle, every inch of skin, had been
hot-wired and still sizzled with residual electricity.

“Unbe-frigging-lievable,” he said, pushing up to prop on his elbows and look down
on her. “You okay?”

She nodded, unable to find the words to express how she felt.

She’d trusted this guy to help explore her sexuality. And Jett had delivered in ways
he’d never know.

Because what they’d just done proved that all those times with Flint, when she’d secretly
blamed herself for their lackluster sex life, hadn’t been her fault.

With the right guy, a guy like Jett, she could go off. And that knowledge empowered
her like nothing else.

She lifted her hips slightly, pressed her pelvis to his. “Ready for the next round?”

“Insatiable. Impressive.” He winked. “At least give me another three minutes.”

“Actually, I think I need more like ten,” she said, wincing a little as she moved
her arms.

He stood quickly, concern creasing his brow. “Okay, that’s enough kinky stuff for
now. Let me untie you.” He undid the scarves and unlocked the handcuffs, gently rubbing
circulation back into her wrists. “Better?”

“Fine,” she said, touched by his thoughtfulness.

Though now the post-orgasmic haze was fading, reality intruded. She wasn’t fine. Having
to tell Jett the truth after what they’d just shared? Her timing sucked.

She should’ve told him earlier. Shouldn’t have been so damn selfish in wanting to
explore her fantasies. Hopefully he’d understand what it took for her to trust him
to bind her and he’d cut her some slack.

“What’s wrong?” He released her wrists and sat on the bed.

“Nothing.”
Everything
. She laid a hand on his thigh, took a deep breath, and hoped to God he’d understand.
“I’m being selfish in wanting to keep you here when you probably need to work on your
presentation.”

He grimaced. “Don’t remind me. I reckon my work speaks for itself and Kai Kaluna’s
a stand-up guy, but a lot of advertising business is conducted behind closed doors.
Mutual back-scratching. Under-the-table deals. That kind of thing.” His fingers splayed
on her stomach and the pit of it fell away. “So no matter how well prepared I am,
someone can come along and snaffle the lot from under me.”

Shit. If she didn’t tell him now she may end up losing her dinner in the toilet.

The nausea intensified as she looked at Jett, with his hair ruffled and his eyes clear
and his expression wavering between satisfaction and tenderness.

He reached for her. “Allegra?”

She slipped out of reach, hating how her simple evasive action made his eyes narrow
with suspicion.

Unable to look him in the eye, her hands fiddled with the top sheet, twisting it until
her fingers ached. “I’m pitching for the Kaluna campaign. I lost my biggest client,
two others didn’t sign up, and my company, AW Advertising, is in dire financial trouble,
so I came here with the sole intention of scoring an opportunity to pitch.”

The truth spilled out of her in a torrent, but did little to ease the clamminess of
her skin or the roiling of her gut. “I’m sorry, it just seemed easier for you to think
I was taking a week off after the wedding fiasco rather than mess with my work and
yours. I wanted to tell you, but we’ve kept work and our private lives separate and
I didn’t want to complicate things.”

“Complicate things,” he parroted, shaking his head and staring at her like she’d morphed
into a monster. “Why would a little thing like you sleeping with me, letting me talk
about my work while you’re in competition against me,
complicate things
?”

His lethally cold monotone scared her more than if he’d ranted and raved and shouted.

She knew damage control at this point would be useless but she had to try, had to
try anything to wipe away the devastation clouding his eyes and the disgust twisting
his mouth. “Jett, this has nothing to do with us—”

“Bullshit,” he roared, and she jumped. Maybe she preferred the cold disdain more.
“I can’t believe I frigging trusted you.”

The desolation in his appalled glare told her more than anything he could throw at
her ever could. His best mate had betrayed his trust and now he thought she’d done
the same. She wanted to tell him how she’d tried to help him, how she’d changed her
pitch, but by the way he was staring at her, anything she said now would only make
things worse.

A sob bubbled up from deep within and stuck in her chest. She slid her hand across
the sheet, needing to convince him of her sincerity. Maybe if she touched him…it seemed
to work for them, the physical connection. She needed him to believe her. “Jett, listen
to me—”

“Fuck this. I’m out of here,” he snarled, leaping off the bed, shrugging into his
clothes, and heading for the door.

Ludicrous, how even in a moment of intense animosity, the moment when their relationship
imploded, she noticed how great his ass looked. A stupid, irrational observation that
showed exactly how close she was to losing it.

She crumpled, wrapping her arms around her middle to stave off the gut-wrenching ache.
It did nothing and the pain spread until her body quivered with it. “I don’t want
to leave things between us like this…”

He slammed the door in response.

Chapter Eight

Jett barged into his room, stomped into the bathroom, and splashed water on his face.
After toweling off, he stared at the mirror, his shattered reflection taunting him
more than Allegra’s declaration.

She’d lied to him. Big frigging deal. Wouldn’t be the first time someone had. And
it wasn’t the first time someone had taken his trust and shoved it up his ass.

But it was the first time he cared so damn much, and that told him more than the dawning
horror in his eyes.

He cared about her. On a far deeper level than what he’d signed up for. Intrinsically,
he’d probably known it all along, yet like a masochistic schmuck had gone with it
regardless. Dressing it up as a casual fling, something he could walk away from anytime
he wanted.

Fuck, what a mess.

Since when had he turned into such a dickhead?

He had to be, that even now a small part of him wished he’d stayed. So they could
what? Talk? Pile a whole lot of empty words on top of the pain? Because that’s what
he felt, a goddamn ache that centered on his chest and spread outward and mimicked
the time he’d scarfed three plate-size chicken schnitzels as part of a stupid bet
with Reeve.

First his best friend shits all over him, now Allegra. What was it about him that
had “Gullible Loser” etched across his forehead?

He swore and left the bathroom, pacing the room, but predictably it did little to
ease the anger and betrayal burning him up from the inside out. With every step his
fury grew until he wanted to punch something. But he’d been here before. About two
months ago when he thought he’d lost everything.

But he hadn’t. Reeve hadn’t taken the one thing that would get him through anything:
tenacity. No way in hell would Jett allow this blip to derail his plans.

And it was a blip. Wasn’t like him and Allegra were in a relationship. Wouldn’t be
the first time some chick did a number on a guy and it wouldn’t be the last. Though
this particular guy would sure as hell be wary of letting anyone get too close again.

Yep, she was a blip and as his steps slowed, some sense of rationality returned. She
wanted to go up against him? Bring it on. He’d move on from this, would focus solely
on nailing this pitch, while she’d probably be a basket case from the deception she’d
perpetuated. Good. She deserved to suffer.

Then he did the one thing guaranteed to make this situation remotely better.

He fired up his laptop and got to work.

If he could channel half his fury at the injustice of all this into his presentation,
he’d win the gig for sure.

First item on the agenda: suss out the competition. So he Googled AW Advertising,
and discovered it was one of the most respected agencies in LA, with an impressive
list of clientele.

Good. He thrived on beating the best. The bigger they were, the harder he strived.
Now, more than ever, it was imperative that he win.

No way would he let Allegra screw up his professional life the way she had with his
personal.

…

In a daze, Allegra showered, dressed in white linen pants and a thigh-skimming peach
caftan top, applied makeup, and blow-dried her hair. She had to establish normality,
had to maintain a perfectly poised front. Because if she didn’t, she’d fall to pieces
and board the first plane out of here.

And she couldn’t do that. Zoe, and her other employees, were depending on her. She
had to win this pitch, no matter how much she wanted to walk.

The desolation on Jett’s face when he’d learned the truth, the frigidity in his tone
that quickly turned to abhorrence… It would haunt her forever, something she’d have
to deal with along with her broken heart.

Because she was under no illusions now. The moment Jett had bolted was the moment
all the uncertainty and hedging and posing coalesced into the devastating truth.

She had fallen in love with him.

And she’d hurt him regardless.

She’d thought she was doing the best she could for him by changing her pitch to not
directly compete. But maybe she was more like her parents than she realized. Hurting
the ones they loved, following their own path regardless of what it did to other people.
She never would’ve thought it, but as she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the
French doors leading to the patio, she could’ve sworn she saw her mother.

Daphne always thought any problems could be solved by donning her most expensive designer
outfit and her chunkiest diamond choker, applying lashings of makeup, and having her
hair styled. Presenting a poised front at all costs to hide underlying problems simmering
beneath.

Ironic, that’s exactly what Allegra had done, but the situation with Jett? Went far
beyond a “problem.” She’d ruined the best relationship she’d ever had and managed
to kick him in the balls on the way down.

Way to go.

A knock sounded at the door and Allegra’s heart gave a betraying kick before she realized
it would be Zoe, here for their final prep before the pitch tomorrow.

She squared her shoulders and dragged in several deep breaths. She could do this.
How many times had she hidden her disappointment at her folks’ nonappearance at an
important school event? How many times had she smiled and schmoozed their fake friends
in the hope of earning praise? How many times had she stood by Flint’s side at an
A-list Hollywood function, appearing interested, when all she felt inside was nothing?

Yes, she’d honed her poised outer shell over many years. “Unflappable” was the label
she’d earned after final exams in boarding school. Aloof, from some of her less complimentary
college coeds.

Now, like then, she’d don her mask and present a front to the world. A front that
hid a world of pain deep inside where she ranted and screamed and railed at the agony
of losing the one man she’d ever fallen in love with.

Forcing a smile, she opened the door.

And promptly burst into tears when she caught sight of Zoe.

“What’s wrong?” Zoe bustled in, closed the door, and draped an arm around her waist
as she guided her toward the sofa. “What can I do to help?”

Allegra couldn’t speak as the sobs she’d suppressed since Jett had stormed out of
her room bubbled up and spewed forth in great, unladylike heaves. Accompanied by tears
and snot and an urge to puke.

“Hey, you’ll make yourself sick,” Zoe said, dashing into the bathroom to grab a box
of tissues and handing it over before she headed for the minibar. She emptied a miniature
bottle of whiskey into a glass and handed it over. “Take some deep breaths and get
this into you.”

When Allegra clamped her lips and shook her head, Zoe folded her arms, channeling
her inner dominatrix that tended to intimidate some clients. “If you don’t drink voluntarily,
I’ll pour it down your throat.”

“Bossy,” Allegra said, and promptly howled again, as she echoed what Jett had said
an hour earlier.

“For goodness’ sake.” Zoe rolled her eyes and held out her hand for the glass. “See,
this is why I don’t fall in love. It always ends in tears.”

Allegra gulped the whiskey in one go, the burn as it slid down her gullet not half
as shocking as the burn in her heart.

“Better?”

“No.” She glared at Zoe and thumped the glass on the coffee table. “And how’d you
get so wise anyway?”

Zoe perched on the sofa next to her. “Seriously? Anyone could see you two were crazy
for each other.”

Allegra opened her mouth to refute it when Zoe held up her hand. “And don’t even think
about trying to label it a fling, because you’re so way past that it’s not funny.”

Allegra slumped into the sofa, sniffling and dabbing at her eyes. “I’m the dumbass
who unwittingly fell in love, not him.”

“Are you for real?” Zoe fanned her face. “The way he looks at you? Not the look of
a prick or a player in this for a short time.”

“You’re wrong.” Allegra tossed a bundle of used tissues at a nearby trash can and
missed. “And you’re not helping.”

Zoe shrugged. “Trust me, I’m trying to get your head in a good space so we can nail
this pitch tomorrow without you freaking out like a lovesick teenager.”

The pitch…
another sob made Allegra’s eyes seep and Zoe tapped her foot against the floor, a
picture of impatience. “Whatever tiff you two had, you better sort it out right now
before I go drag him here and—”

“We’re pitching against Jett and if he doesn’t land this campaign he has nothing.”

Zoe’s mouth fell open and Allegra enjoyed having her sassy, know-it-all friend off-balance
for once. “He’s
pitching
?” Zoe made it sound like Jett was parasailing naked in front of a beachside audience.

Allegra bit her lower lip and nodded. “I didn’t tell him we were going up against
him ’til an hour ago when he made a joke about it.”

“Hell’s bells.” Zoe pressed her fingers to her temples. “So this is more than a tiff?”

“Yep. It’s a freaking disaster.”

Zoe pinned her with an accusatory stare. “Why didn’t you tell him? Come clean when
we first decided to pitch?”

The million-dollar question. “Because I thought I could manage the situation. Even
help a little…”

Zoe groaned. “Don’t tell me you went on one of your crusades again.”

“All I did was change my pitch after Jett told me his, which was almost identical.”
Allegra managed a wan smile. “I wanted to give him a good shot at winning, so he couldn’t
accuse me later of stealing his idea.”

Zoe dragged a hand through her spikes. “For a smart businesswoman, you can be a real
dumbass when it comes to guys.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Allegra said, a hint of a smile threatening to
break out, when for the last sixty minutes she’d thought she’d never smile again.

“It’s true.” Zoe flung her arms in the air. “I give up. All these years I’ve tried
to drag you out on double dates or set you up with bad boys to have a little fun with,
but noooo. You date a few dweebs in college then get engaged to an old fart friend
of your folks.”

Zoe made circles at her temple. “Then, when I finally think you’ve wised up and made
a great choice, you go crazy and screw it up by lying to the guy. Sheesh.”

Allegra managed a tremulous smile at Zoe’s assessment of the situation. “Tell me what
you really think.”

Zoe snorted. “So what are you going to do?”

“Nail the pitch. Save our business.”

Zoe’s eyes narrowed. “And Jett? You said he loses everything.”

“Shit…” Allegra shook her head, wishing there was some way they could both come out
winners.

Maybe they could work together on a campaign…combine creativity…wouldn’t be out of
the realm of possibility, considering the Kaluna resorts were spread across the world
and their respective offices were based in Sydney and LA.

Yeah, like Jett would want to work with
her
after she’d done a number on him.

Unless she presented it to him in purely business terms. In a way he couldn’t refuse…

“Leave Jett to me.”

Allegra had the beginnings of a plan. A harebrained plan but a plan nonetheless. One
that involved turning this disastrous situation into a win-win. One that may save
her company and save Jett’s, too. One that gave them a chance in hell of resurrecting
their relationship and a hope of making it work the second time around.

But first, she had to win this campaign.

…

The next day, Allegra and Zoe strutted out of Kai Kaluna’s office, maintaining their
über-confident facade until they reached the resort lobby and collapsed onto the nearest
cushion-covered wicker sofa.

“What do you think?” Zoe crossed her legs, not caring that the hem of her black mini
rode higher. “He’s a hard one to read.”

Allegra had to agree. She’d pitched advertising ideas to many corporate power players
over the years but none had been as inscrutable as the hotelier giant. “He seemed
impressed.”

“What gave it away? His deadpan expression or his emotionless ‘please continue’?”

Allegra smiled. “Guess we’ll know by tomorrow morning, unless he was so blown away
by our presentation he’ll call us back tonight.”

Zoe crossed her fingers. “Are you going to call Jett?”

“Not yet.” Allegra wanted to, boy, did she want to. She’d picked up the phone several
times last night, had even strolled halfway across the resort toward his room before
turning back.

There was so much she wanted to say to him, but first she had to have a concrete offer
in place, a business plan he would understand without emotions clouding the issue.
Then she could deal with the other stuff, the important stuff like her broken heart,
later.

“Don’t leave it too long,” Zoe said, tapping her watch. “If we were the last pitch
and he doesn’t get the gig, chances are he’ll be on the first plane out of here.”

Damn, she hadn’t thought of that.

As if thinking about the man in question conjured him up, the skin on the back of
Allegra’s neck prickled and she glanced over her shoulder to lock gazes with Jett.

Judging by his beige suit and open-necked white shirt, he’d pitched to Kai earlier.
Which meant he was headed toward the guy’s office for one reason: he’d landed the
job.

The thought made her feel sick, because it ruined everything: her plan, her business,
her life. But oddly enough, she couldn’t summon up one iota of regret other than how
badly things had ended between them.

His disdain rippled over her and she surreptitiously rubbed her arms, hoping he could
read half of what she was feeling in her eyes. Either he couldn’t or he didn’t want
to know, because he deliberately turned his back on her and picked up the pace toward
Kai’s office.

“Brrr, chilly.” Zoe mock-shivered. “You sure did a number on him.”

Allegra glared at her best friend, who held up her hands in surrender. “Just saying.”

“Don’t.” Besides, Jett wouldn’t look so grim when she made him an offer he couldn’t
refuse.