Scandalous Arrangement

Chapter 6

BARBARA

I looked at him like he had grown horns, even though my knees went weak and my palms were suddenly damp.

He sat up on the bed, his head resting against the comforter. “Still not decided? I see.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m thinking, okay?” I spat.

Okay, my heart and head were racing as I stood frozen. It’s just s*x, Barbara. Nothing more. Who cares if you haven’t done it before? You’ve always been looking for a way to lose your virginity anyway. No, no—it’s nothing to lose. It’s just s*x, and he’s just a man. Just a body. You can do it with no emotions. No meaning. Just pretend he’s your favorite hockey romance main character, or he’s just a stranger with a sculpted chest and sinful lips that you found at a club.

But could I really do that?

I wasn’t sure. But I was sure as hell not marrying him or losing my inheritance.

I dropped my phone onto the chair next to me. It was a round, soft sofa that I was tempted to simply plop into. The room suddenly felt cold as I took a step forward, and then another, toward the bed. My legs were unsteady, trembling slightly with each movement. The bathrobe shifted against my skin, and my breathing hitched.

Lorenzo seemed very pleased with the slow steps I was taking, and the closer I came, the more his scent engulfed me. What soap or cologne had he used? It stirred something deep within me. It smelled so masculine, fresh, and minty. It did something to me, shamefully so. I’d always been a sucker for well-groomed men who smelled nice and put effort into their skincare and scent, and it sucked that this jerk was exactly like that.

I kept moving closer, staring above his head at the headboard because I knew that if I looked into his eyes, I would turn back.

I paused at the foot of the bed, my body swaying slightly beneath the weight of everything. Then, suddenly, he stood and came to me. Without a word, he swept me into his arms, and a soft, shameful moan escaped my lips.

One second I was standing still; the next, I was lying on the bed, the air thick with heat. I hadn’t expected him to be so... possessive.

“Open your eyes, Princess.”

I didn’t even realize my eyes were closed until I opened them to find him hovering above me, his face so close to mine. Those dark, severe eyes bored into mine. I searched them, trying to understand what he was feeling. But there was really nothing to see. He, too, was searching mine.

I felt that he could see the hunger in me, and he had no intention of letting me bury it. He leaned over my neck and took a deep breath, inhaling my scent. My body reacted instantly, my c**t twitching, I was soaking wet now just for him. I closed my eyes, anticipating his every move. He slowly traced his tongue along my neck, and the sensation had me clapping a hand over my mouth to stifle my moan. Moments later, he was sucking gently at my skin, leaving his mark.

“Oh, Christ,” I moaned, my heart racing so hard it felt ready to burst.

But then he stopped.

I opened my eyes at once, sensing his hesitation.

“What now?” I croaked, seeing him searching my face again. “Have you changed your mind?”

Lorenzo gave a slight shake of his head.

Then, without warning, he claimed my mouth.

His kiss was deep, assured, and sensual—softer than our first, yet even more passionate and possessive. A soft moan escaped me as his lips moved against mine, exploring slowly but thoroughly. He wasn’t rushed. He was savoring me, as though he wanted me to remember this kiss, and he wanted to remember every inch of my mouth. And I loved it. I loved the way he kissed with such tenderness and passion. I’d kissed plenty of men before, but nothing had ever felt quite like this.

I clung to him, one hand buried in his hair, the other pressed against his back, drowning in the tenderness and pressure. I was completely disarmed by him, my limbs turning to jelly. He nipped gently at my lips before soothing the sting with the barest brush of his tongue.

I squirmed beneath him when his hands moved over me. The warmth of his touch completely undid me. He pulled away for air, and soon he was kissing my neck again. Once more, my body reacted without hesitation.

I arched my back as he moved lower and lower, from my neck to my collarbones and toward my chest. My fingers tangled deeper into his hair to keep him there, my body becoming all sensation. My whole being seemed desperate for him.

He stopped again and lifted his face to mine. My heart was pounding so hard I kept my eyes shut.

“Open your eyes, Princess.”

I did, trembling beneath him, my eyes wide, my mouth parted, my hair spread across the pillow.

I wasn’t thinking about freedom anymore.

I was thinking about him.

About what would make him happy.

I wanted him so badly. I wanted him to please me, and I wanted to please him.

“You’re shaking,” he whispered, a smile touching his lips.

I nodded, breathless.

“I want you,” I confessed, my voice barely audible. “But I don’t know what you want from me.”

He leaned down again, his mouth brushing my ear.

“I want you just like this,” he murmured. “I want you trembling. I want you tame. I want you obedient. I want you to be my good girl. Can you do that?”

I nodded.

Then he kissed me again, stealing my breath, my thoughts, and maybe—just maybe—all of my pride.