The center of my existence.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Emery

  My body was on fire.

  I opened my eyes to watch the flames burning me in the mirror. But there wasn’t any. There was just me and Rhett, his head moving between my legs.

  It was too much. His hands grasped my ass, giving me no room to escape. His teeth scraped my clitoris, and I cried out in pain before his tongue soothed the throbbing bud, sending a wave of pleasure over me.

  Pain.

  Pleasure.

  The two feelings warred each other, each attempting to take dominance, neither winning or losing.

  A sharp crack of sound filled the room as his palm came down hard on my ass cheek, even as his tongue dove deeper inside me. I nearly fell, my knees refusing to hold me. It was too much, but I wanted more. He gave me more, spanking again and again as his mouth did such wonderful things.

  I looked down, watching his face move between my legs. It was the most sensual thing I’d ever witnessed. And when he opened his eyes to look up at me, the connection between us shot another burst of fire through me.

  I was going to come. An orgasm snaked its way through me, coiling deep in my belly, eager to strike.

  He spanked me again, harder this time, and I ground into his face, taking what I was needing. As I rocked, he lapped at my core with relish, devouring me. When he slid a finger into me, I couldn’t hold back a scream any longer. I didn’t know if anyone could hear me, and I didn’t care. I let myself go. I couldn’t find it in me to care about anything other than this man and what he was doing to me. It was like every erogenous zone in my body was being stimulated at once.

  My body quaked.

  My thighs clenched.

  And when he laced his fingers through mine, connecting us in every way we could be connected, I shattered.

  I was still convulsing with the power of my orgasm when his arms came around me, holding me to his chest.

  “That was so incredible,” he murmured against my hair, and it was. His fingers twisted through the long strands, sending small jolts of pain through my scalp as his movement tugged at my hair. “Taste how amazing you are.” He kissed me, and I tasted my flavor on his tongue, then licked it off his lips. He groaned. “God, you are so sexy.”

  I held on to him as his tongue slid across mine, exploring my mouth with a patience that didn’t match the urgency I felt in his body.

  His fingers dug into my ass as he lifted me as if I weighed nothing. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I held on, panting hard as he carried me to his bed, the anticipation of what would come next making me light-headed. When he set me down on the edge and began unbuttoning his shirt, I pushed his hands away and did it for him. Needed to do it for him. I wanted to be the one to reveal his chest, his stomach. Everything.

  As my trembling fingers struggled with the buttons, he kissed me hard and deep, making the task even more difficult. When he finally lifted his head, we were both breathless. He rested his forehead against mine for a moment, and I let myself enjoy simply being with him.

  If we didn’t go any further, I would be sated.

  But I wanted to go further.

  Reaching for the button on his pants, my trembling fingers opened it before sliding the zipper down with a soft hiss.

  Soft gray boxer briefs were beneath, unable to hide the outline of his thick erection. When we fought before, I’d grabbed him there. I’d felt how thick and long he was, but seeing it now, knowing only the thinnest material separated us was heady.

  As he shrugged out of the shirt I’d unbuttoned, I sat back to admire his body. His possessed both strength and grace, and arousal throbbed low in my belly, stirring inside me again.

  When his pants fell to his feet, he kicked them off. Very slowly, I peeled his boxers down, licking my lips when his cock popped free. Unable to stop myself, I licked and kissed those sexy V-grooves even as I wrapped my hands around his shaft. He was long and thick, velvet and steel, and he pulsed in my palm, a low moan ripping from his throat as I stroked him.

  Feeling powerful, I took a tentative lick, tasting the drop of fluid that formed at the tip before taking the head in my mouth to swirl my tongue around the edges, much as I would have done with an ice-cream cone or a lollipop. I seemed to be doing it well.

  “Fuck.”

  That one word along with the hands digging in my hair gave me the confidence to go further, take more of him in my mouth. He pulsed and throbbed, and I gagged a little when he hit the back of my throat, but that didn’t stop me. I wanted all of him.

  Rhett quivered and shook as I explored him, alternating between licks along his shaft and swallowing as much as possible, keeping my hands on the parts that I couldn’t take into my mouth. His reaction was beyond erotic, and I didn’t want to stop.

  “Fuck,” he swore again, wrapping my hair around his fist, pulling me in closer, forcing me to take him a little deeper. I opened my throat, doing the best I could.

  I hummed, hoping he could feel the vibration, and if the hand in my hair was any indication, he did. I swirled my tongue faster. Reaching all of him while cupping his balls in my hand.

  “Stop.”

  I didn’t want to, so I ignored him while I played. He swore and yanked me backward, his cock leaving my mouth with a soft pop.

  “You’re driving me crazy, and I want this to last.”

  I smiled. He might’ve towered over me and outweighed me by a hundred pounds, but I held the power in this moment. The knowledge built my confidence, making me fearless.

  When he stepped away, I frowned, but he didn’t go far, just to the table beside the bed. Opening a drawer, he pulled out a full box of condoms, tearing the plastic off and tossing a few of the packets beside me.

  “You think you’ll need more than one?” I teased, and he growled.

  “God, I hope so. If you don’t wear my ass out this first time.”

  With interest, I watched his long fingers rip open the condom, then roll it on. It was sexy, watching him touch himself, and my desire burned even hotter.

  “You’re still sure?” he asked, and I smiled up at him.

  “I’ve never been more certain of anything.”

  My breathing grew heavier as he crawled onto the bed, his knees teasing my thighs apart as he went. He nudged at my entrance, and I took his weight as he lowered down on me. His lips claimed mine, then he lifted up and smiled, pushing my hair from my face.

  His eyes grew soft, and the air around us thickened even more. “I’ll never forget this moment, Emery.”

  He flexed his hips and plunged, filling me with one long, hard stroke, and I thought I would die from the sweet agony of him ripping me open. When he was fully seated, he stopped, letting my body adjust to his. So very gently, he kissed away a tear I didn’t know had escaped.

  I was a woman now.

  Wanted.

  Needed.

  By a man most women only dreamed of. I didn’t know if I could feel anymore exquisite than I did.

  Then he moved, sliding out and moving back inside, and I knew it was just the beginning.

  “I love watching you like this.” His breath warmed my face, ghosted over my ear, making all my hair stand on end. “Sexy and sweet, relaxed and tight at the same time.”

  As he moved inside me, I surrendered to all I was feeling, wanting to remember every moment.

  With him, I didn’t worry. I didn’t think. I only felt.

  I gave myself over to him, let myself be lost in his body, in our pleasure, ignoring everything outside this bedroom. Only the two of us existed in this world.

  And as I came, I panted and begged for more in one breath, then in the next, I pleaded with him to stop, too overwhelmed for more.

  But he didn’t stop. He kept moving, rocking in and out of me, his lips claiming mine.

  As the sweet torture of another climax built inside me, I threw back my head and cried out his name.

  He roared mine.

  We climaxed together, bodies shuddering as we moved against and with each other, drawing out every last drop of pleasure until we couldn’t hold anymore.

  When he slumped down on me, I took his weight and circled my arms and legs around him, needing our bodies to stay connected. I shuddered as his cock twitched inside me, sending a series of sensations tripping through me.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said, rolling us until I was on top, my cheek resting on his hard chest, the thud of his heart under my ear matching my own.

  “I don’t think you’d ever hurt me,” I said, tracing the muscles of his bicep with my finger. “At least in a way that didn’t also bring me pleasure.”

  He lifted a hand and brought it down on my behind, making me jump. I laughed. So did he. I wiggled my bottom, and he did it again.

  “One of the most important parts of a dominant/submissive relationship is the aftercare, Emery.”

  I grinned. “I think I like the sound of that. Aftercare. It sounds very… caring.”

  His abs contracted, and he sat up, taking me with him until I was straddling his hips. I sighed as he slipped out of me, mourning the loss, then looked down, wrinkling my nose at the gooey condom.

  “Sex is messy.”

  I nodded, agreeing as he slipped the condom off and tossed it into a trashcan beside his bed. A flare of jealousy hit me as I wondered how many other condoms from other women had landed there.

  “You’re the first,” he said, reading my mind. “I’ve never been with a woman here. It’s my sanctuary from the world, but I’m happy to be sharing it with you.”

  Running my hands up his arms, I didn’t stop until they were on the sides of his face, stroking his soft beard. “Thank you for sharing it with me. For giving me this gift. It was more incredible than I thought was possible.”

  “Are you sore?”

  I wiggled on him, testing myself. “A little but not as much as I thought I’d be.”

  Wrapping his arms around me, he moved to the side of the bed, then stood up, taking me with him. I liked how strong he was. It wasn’t oppressive or scary, being handled any which way he wished.

  “I’ll run us a bath.”

  Beside the huge tub, he lowered me until I was on my feet. As he dealt with the faucets, I turned to the mirror, wanting to see if I looked any different.

  No.

  I was still Emery. Still flat-chested. I was a bit disappointed that all that sucking hadn’t made them any bigger.

  Rhett came up behind me, the heat of him warming me in the chilly room as the smell of bath salts swirled around in the air and fog misted the mirror, giving our reflection an ethereal look.

  We stood like that as the tub filled, his hands running up and down my arms. Every few moments, he leaned down to kiss my hair.

  After a bit, he scooped me up, and I laughed as he stepped into the tub, and he settled me between his legs. With a sponge, he washed my arms, my neck, my back, but switched to his hand as he washed my swollen center.

  When he was done, we sank down into the water, and I closed my eyes. It was very late, or very early depending on how you viewed time, and with all the physical activity and mental stress of the day, sleep pulled at me.

  I awoke to Rhett wrapping a towel around me, patting me dry. I blushed. “I’m sorry I fell asleep.”

  His eyes were soft. “I’m glad you were comfortable enough to.”

  I yawned, covering my mouth so he wouldn’t be assaulted by the sight of my tonsils. I looked around for my clothes. “I should probably go.”

  He dropped the towel that was around his waist. He was hard. “Yeah, you probably should.”

  Sleep fled as he stepped toward me. “Or maybe I should stay for a bit longer,” I said, dropping to my knees to take him into my mouth.

  He growled, his hands finding my hair. “Yeah, you probably should.”

  As we sank onto his bed again, and as he made love to me so sweetly, I never wanted to go anywhere that he wasn’t.

  When I came, and he followed me, he disposed of the condom and pulled the blanket over us both.

  I knew we had a competition tomorrow. I knew I would need to watch him interact with the other women. As beautiful as our coming together was, it didn’t change anything. I wasn’t so naïve to believe that it did.

  I meant to crawl from his bed and sneak to my room, but his arms tightened around me, tempting me to curl closer to him. I’d stay just a few more minutes, enjoy watching him so relaxed, enjoy the long lashes laying on his cheeks so adorably, enjoy being surrounded by his strength.

  Just another minute.

  I closed my eyes.

  Just one more…

  ***

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  I jerked awake, startled, not knowing where I was. Beside me, Rhett sat up, rubbing a hand over his eyes.

  The knock came again, even more urgent this time.

  “Rhett, I’m coming in.”

  It was a man’s voice, deep and low. Rhett yelled, “Wait!”

  But it was too late, his bodyguard burst into the room.

  Letting out a little yelp, I pulled the sheet up to cover my breasts, and the big man stopped in his tracks.

  “Shit. Sorry.” Even his bald head was turning red.

  Not caring about his nakedness, Rhett slipped out of the bed and pulled on a pair of boxers then sweatpants that hung low on his hips. “What’s wrong?”

  Dillon glanced at me. “The house is in an uproar looking for her. It’s past time for breakfast. The cameras and shit are capturing the search.”

  “Fuck.”

  I hadn’t budged from the bed.

  Juliette!

  “Can you ask Juliette to get my sweats and hoodie from my room?” I asked Dillon, and both men turned to me. “Maybe I can sneak out and pretend I’d gone on a run and lost track of time.”

  To my surprise, Dillon punched a button on his phone. Why did he have Juliette’s number? I gaped as he began speaking to her, giving her my instructions. “Master suite, incognito.” His voice softened, and I gaped harder. “Thanks, baby.”

  I wasn’t the only one staring at Dillon. Rhett looked a bit flabbergasted too. Dillon lifted a shoulder. “She’s a terrific girl.”

  I nodded. She was, and a grin spread across my face as I thought of the two of them together. I could see it. A minute later, when Juliette came skidding into the room, I could really see it.

  The two of them had really hit it off.

  “Come on,” Juliette said, then whirled on the men. “You two… out!”

  Dillon said something I couldn’t hear, but it made Juliette giggle.

  When they were gone, she threw my clothes at me, and I began pulling them on. “I couldn’t find your running shoes.”

  I pointed to the corner where I’d spotted them earlier. She ran to grab them, then hugged me. “Oh, Em… I’m so happy for you. We don’t have time for details now, but you have to spill later.”

  I yanked on the shoes. “I don’t think I’m the only one needing to spill.”

  She blushed, and the smile grew on her face, making her even prettier. “We’ve so got to talk. And you’ve so got to go.” She yanked the door open to address the men. “How do we sneak her outside?”

  Rhett walked in. “My garage.”

  He led me through a sitting area and through a door, and … wow. A long row of expensive automobiles. “You own all these?”

  He grinned. “And a few more at my penthouse.”

  “Wow.”

  His grin was bigger. “I’ll let you drive them sometime.”

  Some. Time.

  Like sometime in the future.

  Future.

  Was it possible we had one?

  “Go through here and into the woods, then circle around. Come huffing and puffing through the front door and act surprised at the time.”

  I was a secret.

  Would I forever be a secret in a man’s life?

  He kissed me hard. “Last night was perfect.”

  I kissed him back. “It was. Thank you.”

  “Hurry!” Juliette hissed, and Rhett opened the door for me. As fast as I could, I raced to the trees, the cold burning into my lungs with each breath.

  And when I burst in the front door, the distress I was feeling wasn’t an act as everyone descended on me, and I told my story of losing time and getting a bit lost in the woods.

  It wasn’t exactly a lie.

  I was lost. I was lost to the spell of Rhett Hamilton.

  But it also wasn’t the truth.

  I was once again cast in a role I couldn’t be honest about.

  And I still had to share him with all these women.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Rhett

  As I sat down at the breakfast table, five pairs of eyes turned my way. They each glowed with excitement as the women peppered me with questions about how my night was, how well I slept, if I was looking forward to the day.

  Between bites, I patiently answered them while also asking each of them the same. The cameras rolled as they giggled and gushed over how excited they still were. It actually wasn’t so bad, since I’d eliminated the worst of the bunch, the ones left were more mature. But the excitement of the show was still present on their faces.

  They still thought they had a chance with me.

  They couldn’t be more wrong.

  “Where’s Emery?” I asked after a few minutes. I knew it would end up being odd if I didn’t ask.

  Gabrielle waved an elegant hand at the window. “She’s late. Went running, if you can believe it, and lost track of time.” She held my gaze. “I prefer riding horses. Gripping them with my legs keeps my thighs strong.” She leaned forward, her eyes hypnotic. “I can ride and ride for hours and never tire.”

  The double meaning wasn’t lost on me.

  I pulled my gaze away and stabbed my fork into a piece of sausage. When I glanced back up, a sexy smirk was playing on Gabrielle’s mouth while the other women looked uncomfortable. Except for Vanessa. The entire conversation seemed to have gone over her brightly-painted head.

  As we continued to chat, I could feel Emery before I saw her. It was like my cock was a dousing rod and she was the only source of water.