Olivia.
Olivia knew she needed to move again. She knew it with certainty as she thought of the run-down and seemingly irreparable, old boat that was her home; The last remnant of so many childhood memories, both good and bad. She knew she had to move, but it was more wishful thinking than anything she could do in reality as the bills continued to mount up. The less-than-adequate low-cost berth she had been given by the slimy marina manager at least sheltered her a little from the raging storms when they came, and it was far removed from the big. prestigious yachts that shared the docks on the edge of the bay. She placed the new bill for the berth she had retrieved from the post box wall into her bag and sighed. She couldn’t afford to move with what she made bar-tending in the waterfront dive where she had managed to find a job.
She was lonely and miserable, and she wondered once again what her life might have become if she hadn’t left her family for the walking disaster that was Kevin. He was all kinds of wrong for her, but in a pique of teenage I-know-what-I’m-doing-stop-treating-me-like-a-child, she had left and turned her back on the people who loved her. She had begun travelling the country with a man she believed loved her in the beginning. They were happy, or at least she had thought they were. Things began to go bad when he started to leave her alone most nights to drink, gamble, and squander their meagre savings. Then, when things went bad, he came home to take it out on her. She rationalised and even made excuses for him, rather than admit she had given up her privileged life for a loser, until the money ran out and he found someone else who would look after him.
She had been left with little more than what she had now. A string of debts and a boat that barely moved, as well as self-esteem so shredded that she couldn’t face anyone in her old life, or her new life for that matter; not that she had any friends of her own anymore. Bereft, she’d sailed away from him and her hopeless situation in her boat, the one thing Kevin couldn’t take from her. Now, however, it didn’t move at all, and Olivia despaired of ever saving enough money to get the engine fixed or the sails repaired. She had closed herself off from the world so utterly that she failed to make any new or real connections with anyone in this place where she had landed; broke and in need of a job to pay for the repairs needed to her boat and her life.
She didn’t feel she could call anyone from her old life for help. She’d turned her back on them all, including her sisters, who seemed content to toe the family line, except maybe Marcella. She couldn’t bear the ‘I told you so…’ she knew would be coming her way if she called any of them and asked for help, even though Marcella might be sympathetic and would probably be the only person in the world who might help her. Beyond tired, Olivia walked along the docks, making her way home, thinking that she really should try harder to make friends, or at least have some kind of connection to the people here. Not everyone was like Kevin and the friends they had shared. There were a few good people in the world, she was sure of it. She grimaced and acknowledged that at twenty-four she sounded jaded, even to herself.
She could hear voices, which was odd in this part of the big marina. Very few people lived down on this shabby end of the docks. It was more a place for weekend fishermen to keep their dinghies, rather than having to drive them back and forth from homes with garages too small to house them. The voices became louder, and she could hear the distinctly male tones and harsh edges of an argument. She could see their outlines clearer now and slowed her walk. She would have to pass them to get to her boat, and she had no wish to become involved in whatever shadowy business they were up to down here. ‘Drugs?’ She wondered, idly. She couldn’t think of anything else that would bring strangers down to the largely-abandoned outer docks of the marina.
Olivia was close enough to be able to make out more than just the outlines of the men in the group and decided that ignoring them was the best way to get home; so she kept her head down and kept walking at a slow, nonthreatening pace, hoping that they would see her and stop their argument until she had passed by. The men fell momentarily silent, and she looked up, believing they had stopped for her benefit, having seen her approach. She prepared to pass them with a small acknowledgement of her thanks, but she stared with horror as a gun went off, spraying brains and skull into the water, and the man who had been shot toppled backwards off the end of the dock.
A scream pierced the air immediately following the gunshot and, realising it was her own scream, she clapped a hand to her mouth and stared wildly at the two remaining men who advanced on her. Shit, what had she done? What had she seen? She wasn’t some stupid little girl. She should have known better. They were obviously up to no good. Fuck! She turned and ran back the way she had come and rounded a curve in the path near a small run-down kiosk and straight into the broad chest of a third man.
“Hurry! Come with me!” he said in a hushed voice before she could scream again, and she looked back over her shoulder at the two advancing men who still held guns and were silently pursuing her. Letting the man guide her, she ran and squealed when she heard gunfire behind her.
‘Fuck! They were shooting at her!’ Her brain screamed in panic, as the stranger ran faster, dragging her with him to a dark car parked just out of sight at the end of the road near the dock. Her panicked mind didn’t even register the danger of getting into a car with a perfect stranger. She just wanted to be away from the men with the guns, who continued to shoot at the car she had been bundled into when they sped off.
Her boat and her life, as dismal as it was, disappeared behind her, and her panic changed direction. She should call the police, but she had no idea if the man beside her, driving with the confidence of a race car driver, was friend or foe. Certainly, he had saved her life, but she had no idea who he was or what he wanted.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “For saving me.”
“Yeah… sure,” he growled, obviously anxious, or angry, or both, and driving so fast that he didn’t dare take his eyes off the road.
“Where are we going? To the police station?” she asked, in a high overly-anxious voice.
“No, home,” he said unequivocally. When he heard her gasp he qualified, “My home.”
“What?” she blurted. “No! Just let me out anywhere here!” She grabbed the handle of the door, but realised that if she jumped at this speed she would die immediately. She pulled her phone from her bag, intending to call the police.
“No!” His hand shot out, snatching the phone from her hands and glancing down to ensure she hadn’t put through her call. “I’ll explain once we’re home and you are safe. Or would you like those men to find you?” His voice was harsh, jolting her back to the reality of what she had just witnessed.
Once again, Olivia looked out of the window at the dark night and the lack of any traffic impeding the stranger’s speed. She kept her hand on the door handle, deciding which fate would be worse. Injury and possible death from jumping, or ending up at a stranger’s home and at his mercy, or facing the men she had seen murder a man. She heard the door locks snap into place and realised the stranger had just taken one option from her. It had been a losing bet, either way, she thought morosely, and sat back in her seat, her mind reeling and her wavering thoughts scattered. ‘Fight or flight?’ she asked herself over and over again, resigning herself to the probability that she was going to die tonight. Death mightn’t be the worst thing, it wasn’t like she had a lot to live for.
Olivia wasn’t a fighter, but neither was she brave enough to jump from a speeding car, even if she could, and now she had no phone. She was at the mercy of this stranger as soon as she had run with him, she realised and sighed. Just when she thought her life couldn’t get any worse. The stranger echoed her sigh, and she glanced over at him. His dark eyes gazed back as if trying to penetrate her mind and she felt a sense of foreboding. They were almost menacing as he grimaced and focused back on the road.
“We can’t go to the police; The organisation that those guys belong to have more than a few cops on their payroll, and you could land in even more trouble than you are now,” he said in a deep, serious voice, making her gasp. “That murder you just witnessed was carried out by a very powerful criminal organisation, the sort that you just don’t cross. Even the police can’t stand up to them at this point. That’s why I’m taking you to my home. You will be safe there. It’s secluded and secure. You have to trust me on this.”
“Trust you? I don’t even know you!” Panic made Olivia’s voice high-pitched and thready. She knew that she had no choice at this point, and, if what he said was true, then he really was trying to help her, and she would be stupid to push away the one person who was offering her the help she needed. Hadn’t she just been lamenting the lack of help she had in her life? And here was a man willing to save her from some ruthless criminal organisation. She turned her face to the road, her thoughts swirling. “I guess I have no choice,” she whispered and released her hold on the door handle, massaging her hand after realising just how hard she had been gripping it. He glanced at her but said nothing else as he continued to speed through the dark night towards the outskirts of the city.
Large iron gates opened before the car and they drove up a long driveway, pulling up in front of one of the largest houses she had ever seen. She looked again at the stranger. She didn’t recognise him or even know his name. Such had been her panic in their getaway that it hadn’t even occurred to her to ask at the time. Before she could gather her thoughts enough to speak, he stepped out of the car and walked around to her side. She noted a heavy-set man had opened the front door of the mansion and stood to wait for them at the top of a short flight of stairs that made the already-grand entrance look grander. ‘This was it,’ Olivia thought, looking around as he helped her from the car: ‘fight or flight time.’ She couldn’t go so willingly, like a lamb to the slaughter, could she? She looked up and found the stranger’s dark, penetrating gaze on her again and shivered.
Once again, she reminded herself that she wasn’t much of a fighter, and he was obviously a man who knew how to take care of himself. She doubted she could make it over the gates before he caught her again, if she chose flight. Olivia was trapped. She had been trapped the moment she had seen what had happened on the dock. Nothing in her life was ever going to be the same again, and, as much as she hated the life she had been living, at least it was her life, and she had choices. Right now, she knew she had none. So, lamb to the slaughter she was, she admitted, and felt tears burn behind her eyes as she walked slowly up the stairs and into the grand house and, she thought, her impending doom.
She got a better look at the stranger once inside, tall and muscular and very well dressed for someone just hanging around the docks. Memory swirled and struck again as she pictured the shooting and the two men who had heard her scream and come after her. The shock of the evening’s events settled heavily on her and dizziness swept over her, making her unsteady on her feet. Tears began to course down her cheeks, and she wished she could just wake up from this nightmare. The floor seemed somehow closer now, and she could feel his big hands supporting her. Then everything went black.
*****
Remy looked down at the girl in his arms and pondered her for a few moments. Kairos, his right-hand man, stepped forward to help him by picking up the young woman, but Remy waved him away, making the man raise his eyebrow. Remy picked her up himself and, giving Kairos a quick, meaningful look towards the front door and his car; he walked to the guest suite next to his own suite of rooms on the second floor. It had been some time since anyone had stayed in this suite, and, as he lay her carefully on the bed, he wondered if he had lost his mind.
With great care, he removed her shoes and gently tugged down the black jeans, to expose her long, slim legs. He looked up to ensure she was still out cold before running a hand lightly up her calf and thigh to her hip, and felt his cock stir at the feel of her. He hadn’t been sure why he had saved her at the time, exposing himself after arriving just in time to see his brother fall and to be able to do nothing about it. He supposed that he had thought to deny them the witness, to keep her as a threat if they moved against him directly. Anyone who knew him knew that getting to him was wishful thinking. He was Remington Royce, after all, and his reputation was well-deserved. That wasn’t the only reason he had brought her here, and he looked at her, wondering if she had been planted on the private beach in front of his home several weeks ago specifically to get to him.
He had been just as surprised as she was by what they had seen. His brother, who he had trusted not to betray him, had been talking with two of men he knew to be plotting against him, and it had momentarily rendered him immobile. He had been there to see where exactly this girl was living. Very few people seemed to know of her existence. She seemed to have no friends, and, from her work colleagues, the most information he could get was that she was a loner, no family or friends, and that she lived on a run-down boat somewhere on the edge of the marina, or at least that’s what her employee details said. Unable to get an exact location on her, he had followed her. Stalked her, if he was honest, and had been since he first saw her.
He swept the young woman’s hair away from her face and looked at her. In this restful state, she was quite stunning, and a small smile tilted his mouth. He had first seen her weeks ago. She had been caught in a rip that had dragged her up the coastline, and she had fought to get to shore before staggering onto the private beach in front of his home. It wasn’t often that swimmers were seen on this stretch of the coast, and he had watched curiously as she had emerged from the water, alerted by his security defenses. The small pale-pink bikini made her seem almost nude as she emerged from the water like a siren. She had swept her long thick hair forward over one shoulder and wrung it out like a dishcloth, before flicking it back and collapsing to the sand to rest.
Curious, Remy had donned running shoes and set out to get a closer look at the siren-like woman. Seeing him approach, however, she had gotten to her feet and quickly re-entered the water and, staying close to the shoreline this time, she had swum away. Penalties for invading private beaches were not overly harsh, especially when caught in a rip like she was, but she seemed worried enough to flee discovery, so he had let her go.
He’d used the CCTV footage of the beach in front of his house to discover who she was through a friend in law enforcement. Her driver’s license was obviously old and not up-to-date, citing an address in another state, but he at least had a name to go with the image of her, and it was a name he knew well. He also had a possible place of work. O’Shae’s was a rundown dive, and he wondered again about why, with her family connections, she would work in such a place? He tracked her down there and made discreet inquiries. He wondered, not for the first time, if she was hiding from someone, or possibly even her family. She certainly hadn’t made herself easy to find or get to know. She intrigued him, and if she was connected to the family he knew by that name then he may be able to use her to achieve an even more formidable reputation.
The siren he had seen on his beach, and whose lithe form he had watched multiple times on the footage from the day she washed up on his beach, was even lovelier up close. Her body looked just as delicious in the figure-hugging jeans and tight shirt, but her thick multi-hued hair had been hidden by the water’s darkness as she had climbed from the sea, and now he could see that it detracted from her natural beauty. A good hair stylist could fix that, however, and with some decent clothes, he imagined that she would be lovely to behold, and exactly the type of woman he had been looking for. He ran the back of his fingers down her cheek and found she didn’t even flinch. The shock of seeing the murder, coupled with her exhaustion from pulling a twelve-hour shift, meant that she wouldn’t wake until morning, and that should give him the time he needed to deal with what they had seen.
Kairos cleared his throat from the bedroom door, indicating that he had something urgent to speak about, and Remy rose to settle the comforter over the sleeping girl. This hadn’t gone as he had planned. There was no slow seduction and power games to make her his. This had gone in a direction that he couldn’t have guessed at, and he had to know if his now-dead brother had betrayed him, or been involved in an unsanctioned business deal that he had done with the wrong people.
He left the room, closing the door quietly, and indicated to Kairos that they should move down to his office without saying a word. Once there, in the secure space, he told Kairos exactly what he had seen and what had happened to make him bring the woman home with him.
“She knows nothing about who I am, and I’d like to keep it that way. Keep her away from anything related to family business. She is scared enough as it is,” he instructed. “Once she is mine, then it won’t matter what she knows.”
“Alright. What do we do about Maddox then?” Kairos asked. thinking that the dead man and his connection to Remy would be a problem that they didn’t need at the moment, especially if he wanted to protect the woman who slept soundly upstairs from those who would want to silence her.
“Put Arnie and his team on it. Find out why they killed Maddox and broke the truce. If it’s a war they want, then that’s what they’ll get,” Remy said, shaking his head. He couldn’t imagine his brother would betray him in any way, but he couldn’t account for why he was now dead either. It bothered him more than he was willing to let on, and he was pretty determined to get to the bottom of it. He would use only those people he trusted implicitly and tell no one that Olivia was here with him. He just hoped that the killers hadn’t got a good look at him or the car as he had sped her away from them.
“Not one mention of the girl, or that she saw anything at all, leaves this room,” Remy said abruptly into the silence, knowing he didn’t need to say it. “As far as anyone is concerned, she is just the latest woman to grace my bed.”
“Except that she’s not in your bed,” Kairos chuckled.
“Not yet,” Remy grinned in return.
*****
Olivia woke to a bright and airy room and had to squint against the volume of sunshine that flooded her eyes as she blinked them open. It took several panicked moments for her to remember why she was in this strange place, and the horror of the night before played out in her mind. She pushed back the comforter and got to her feet, looking around wildly, half-expecting to find the stranger in the room with her, but she was alone. She spotted her jeans hung over the back of a chair and she grabbed them, dragging them on and feeling slightly better being fully dressed.
The room was lovely, with a lush and expensive interior design of blue and white, with hints of lemon and lime that gave it a freshness that went with being by the sea. It was a style that Olivia had always loved, and if she had to be imprisoned until she could get to the police safely and tell them what she had seen, then this wasn’t a bad prison cell. It beat her ageing little boat any day. She went to the large bay window and sat on the cushioned bench, looking out over the sparkling bay, and she sighed. If she were here for any other reason she would be in heaven, but the weight of what she had witnessed, and the fact that she was in the home of a stranger who had saved her but had stopped her from reporting the murder to the police, weighed heavily on her.
“Good morning, Olivia,” a deep voice said from behind her, making her jump and turn to face him. The stranger of the night before walked slowly into her room, and, in the morning light, she could see him clearly for the first time. He was tall, well over six foot, his body was that of an athlete or a man used to working out regularly. Her eyes scanned up his body and came to rest on his face. While not classically handsome, his face held a character that made him ruggedly attractive. His dark eyes, that she had thought so menacing in the car last night, this morning seemed a warm hazel, rather than the dark depths of her impending doom.
“Good morning… umm…” she hesitated. She still didn’t know his name, and for some reason the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth made him look infinitely more handsome than she had first thought. ‘He should smile more often.’ she thought distractedly.
“Remy. My name is Remy,” he said in response to her hesitation. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Olivia stuttered, and when he raised his eyebrow she added, “It’s just that I’m a bit…”
“Confused? Overwhelmed?” he prompted as she paused, as if not finding the right words.
“Yes,” she whispered and lowered her head, trying to process exactly how she felt. The vision of the murder passed through her mind again, making her shiver.
“You must be hungry. Come have breakfast with me,” Remy invited, holding out his hand to her. Olivia took it tentatively and found once she had gone that far he took control, tightening his grasp around her fingers and tugging her to his side.
“How did I get up here?” she asked as they left the room and walked to the stairs.
“I carried you and then put you to bed,” he admitted. “I hope you were comfortable enough.”
“Yes, thank you,” she blushed, realising he had taken her jeans off. She didn’t know what else to say, so she remained silent as she followed him down to the kitchen.
“What you saw last night,” Remy began as they sat at a kitchen bench and a solid lady with a broad smiling face placed plates of bacon, eggs and toast before them. “It’s made you a target, and your life is in danger now. You realise that, don’t you?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said in a small voice, her sea green eyes looking up at him as her fingers reached for a strand of hair and rubbed it between her fingers.
“I can protect you here, nothing gets in or out of this property without me knowing. You need to stay here at least until I work out what’s going on and who we can trust,” Remy commanded, but took the edge off the command with another of his half smiles. “If you give me your address and keys, I will pick up some of your stuff for you while I am out, enough for a couple of days, just in case. I need to find a few of my friends and try and work out exactly what happened and why my brother was murdered.”
“Won’t that be just as dangerous for you?” Olivia asked, still staring at him with wide eyes.
“They didn’t get a good look at me last night. You turned and ran into the shadow that I was coming from, and I wasn’t driving my regular car,” he admitted, not wanting to go into the fact that he was up to no good himself in stalking her. “Look, I know it’s not ideal, but you have to stay here, I can only guarantee your safety if you stay put, at least for now.”
“Why would you do that for me? You don’t even know me,” she said, shaking her head. “Why do you even care what happens to me?”
“You’re the only witness to the murder of my brother. Once we work out who killed him, and if we can involve the police and be sure of your safety, then we can move on with our lives,” he said reasonably. Olivia knew there had to be more to the situation than that. She also knew, however, that criminal organisations had a way of dealing with witnesses, and for the moment she was safe. She had her own room, she was being fed well, and she thought once again that if she had to be caged up somewhere this place was hardly a prison cell. The man sitting beside her didn’t seem the least bit threatening in daylight.
“I’m supposed to work tonight,” she said, remembering that she had a job and a life to try and straighten out. She couldn’t afford to lose her job.
“Call them, tell them you’re sick. It should only take a day or two to get this straightened out,” he shrugged.
“They’ll fire me!” Olivia gasped. “I need that job, I have bills mounting up, and I need the money! I can’t just blow off work!”
“If you show up at work tonight you’re as good as dead if they discovered who you are,” he argued. “Besides, bartending in a seedy dive like that is hardly any one girl’s dream job.”
“How do you know where I work?” she asked suddenly.
“You still had your employee identification in your pocket when I took your jeans off last night,” he shrugged. “It fell out, that’s also how I knew your name this morning.” He said quickly. It wasn’t true, the ID was in her bag, but she was rattled enough not to question it, and her blush when he mentioned removing her jeans was a pleasant side effect to the lie. “I’ll help you find a better job once this is all over, I promise. I have connections in the hospitality industry. Okay?”
“I guess I have no choice,” she said almost sullenly. “Stay here and lose my job, or go to work and possibly die. Whatever will I do?” she pushed her plate away and sagged onto the bench in front of her.
“It won’t be for long,” he tried to comfort her, resisting the urge to command her to straighten her posture. “Let me handle it, for now, you will be safe here, and I will help you find a better job and place to live when it’s all over.”
“I like where I live,” she sighed.
“You still have to give me the address so I can pick some things up for you,” he said, glad she hadn’t jumped on his insinuation that her boat was as run down and as seedy as the bar at which she worked. Not that he knew that for sure, but all the boats at that end of the marina docks were in bad shape.
“Okay. Have you got a pen and paper?” she asked. “I’ll write it down and a list of where to find the things I need. It’s a small boat, but it’s mine.”
“Relax and make yourself at home, have a shower, sunbake, go for a swim if you want, but keep to the indoor pool. Ask Aunty Bea, and she’ll find you a shirt of mine you can probably wear as a short dress until I get back,” he said with a smile, imagining her in one of his shirts, and grabbed his keys. “She’ll give you a tour of the house as well if you want, just try to stay inside today until we know what’s really going on.”
“Okay,” she said, giving in fully to what had happened, and the fact that she had little choice but to trust this man. He had saved her, after all, and hadn’t taken advantage of her when she had passed out last night. He was right, if she went home or to work herself, she could very well be found by the men who intended to kill her last night.
“I’ll try and get back by lunchtime,” he told her. She watched him gather his keys and the slip of paper she had written her instructions on. “It will be okay, just stay here and make yourself at home.” With that, he left her to finish her breakfast alone.
“Aunty Bea?” Olivia asked as soon as Remy had left the house. “I don’t suppose you’ve shrunk any of his underwear lately, have you? I could really use a shower and a change of clothes before you take me on a tour of this place.”
“Let’s see what we can find, Miss Olivia,” Aunty Bea smiled widely and waved a hand in the direction of the stairs.
During her morning with Aunty Bea, Olivia had discovered several things. Firstly, Remy, as he had introduced himself, was, in reality, Remington Royce, a well-known playboy who owned hotels, bars and nightclubs like a veritable God of pleasure. He was often seen at charity galas with beautiful socialites and celebrities, and he was enormously wealthy, not that the house hadn’t screamed wealth to her before that discovery. Secondly, he still had her phone, which bothered her greatly, despite having no one of importance to call except work to say she wouldn’t be in for her shift tonight. She had to look up the number and call from the house phone while she waited for Remy to return. Thirdly, Aunty Bea had a stash of women’s clothes and underwear in all different colours and sizes, which made Olivia believe all of the ideas she had about the man being a rich playboy who lived a decadent lifestyle.
When questioned about his playboy status, however, Aunty Bea had just laughed and said, “Sometimes the parties get a little wild, but Mr. Remy rarely attends them himself. He throws parties for his friends more often than not. The last one was a bachelor party for one of his nightclub managers.” She went to great lengths to explain that Remy was a man of particular tastes, and it was rare that women stayed in the house. It had been over a year since his last serious girlfriend had been asked to leave. He was a big believer in monogamy, and she, it seemed, had broken his trust and he had cut her off without another word once he discovered the truth.
It was just after midday, and with the urgings of Aunty Bea, who had proffered a bikini in her size, Olivia was floating in the glorious saltwater pool thinking of Remy and how embarrassed she was that he would see the squalor of where she lived while she lazed about in the beauty and wealth of his home. The contrast couldn’t have been greater, and she sighed. He was being so good to her, and instead of being grateful she was worried and anxious about why he was being so nice, so generous, so protective.
She had always found swimming relaxing, the best way to clear her head and think rationally about her life and where it had taken her. She’d lived like this once, in the lap of luxury, and she’d thrown it all away on a poor imitation of love. She’d squandered the money she’d saved on her own and turned her back on the family who would have looked after her. She knew her family could protect her if only she dared to reach out to them. But she had been the one to walk away and turn her back on family and tradition. She had made it clear she wanted nothing more to do with them if they couldn’t accept her love for Kevin. She had done this to herself, and now it was too late to go back, even if she wanted to.
She sighed and ducked under the water, sitting on the bottom of the pool, wondering if dying quickly with a bullet to her head was really the worst thing that could happen to her. Her dismal, sad and lonely life couldn’t get much worse, but she knew of far greater punishments that could make you wish you were dead. She looked up at the sky so distorted by the depth and movement of the water and slowly came to the surface again.
*****
The murder had been investigated throughout the night. A witness had called the police and claimed he had tried to talk the man out of killing himself but couldn’t be dissuaded. The body had been found drifting amongst the boats at the marina, and the man had shown them where to find the gun and the evidence of what had occurred.
It was sloppy police work, at best, or possibly a cover-up by those on the take. Either way, it was a done deal, and the only people who could prove otherwise were himself and the young woman who currently hid behind the proactive walls of his home; The woman he had been stalking and considering as a woman he could take and mould into exactly what he wanted as a future wife and mother of his heirs.
Her boat had repulsed him, and he had stayed less than a minute, discarding the idea of taking anything from it back to her, even as a souvenir. He looked at the list of what she had directed him to find. None of her belongings would do for what he had in mind. Aside from her personal passport and personal documents, it all had to go, including the boat. Without a home to return to she wouldn’t be so eager to leave his home. He called and relayed his instructions to several of his men, then he climbed back onto the motorcycle he had taken from his city garage, pulled the visor of his helmet shut again and headed back to his business office to swap back to the car he had driven out of the gates of his home that morning. He doubted Olivia was that observant, but it paid to be cautious in these early stages of his possession of her.
His seduction of the woman had not gone as planned. In truth, he hadn’t quite made up his mind if she was able to be all that he wanted, but now that the wheels were turning in that direction he was happy with the forced decision, even if he did have to play catch up and patch over mistakes that he wouldn’t have made otherwise. He drove up the driveway and parked in front of the house, taking the stairs two at a time, and frowned when she didn’t appear to greet him. That would come, he told himself, she didn’t understand her position here yet, but that would come as she learned what he expected from his woman. Aunty Bea directed him to the pool, and he smiled, remembering the first time he had seen her.
“I thought I was going to have to save you again,” Remy laughed lightly as she swam to the edge of the pool and stared at his feet. “I’m glad I don’t have to, in this case.” He bent forward and offered her his hand. “You were sitting on the bottom for quite a while, you had me worried.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Olivia smiled, accepting his hand and the help from the pool. “I love the water, my Dad used to call me his little mermaid. I used to practise holding my breath like that.”
“I see,” Remy picked up a nearby towel and wrapped it around her. “Let’s talk while we have lunch,” he suggested.
“Okay. Did you bring my stuff?” she asked, wanting to dress in her own clothes rather than the discards of others.
“In a way,” he said seriously, and she knew this was not good news. “Come with me,” he guided her from the pool back through the house and upstairs. “Here,” he said, passing her a blue summer dress. “Put this on, and I will explain over lunch.”
“This isn’t mine!” she protested.
“Yes it is. I bought it for you. Do as I have asked, and then we can talk,” Remy said in a soft but commanding tone, and left the room. He turned at the door, “You will find new underwear as well in the bag on the bed.”
It wasn’t long before she had followed him downstairs and found him in his home office. The dress looked fabulous on her and showed off her sexy body and tanned complexion. Now if he could just convince her to do something about that multi-coloured hair. ‘Patience.’ he reminded himself, and attempted to tamp down his eagerness to have this woman accept her place in his life.
“You look lovely,” he said softly, and got up to walk toward her. “I am glad it fits, I had to guess your size,” he lied smoothly.
“It’s beautiful, thank you, but I am going to need my own things,” she said almost plaintively, and unconsciously tugged at the bottom of the short skirt. “Tell me what happened. You didn’t look happy when I mentioned the things I asked you to pick up.”
“Your boat wasn’t where you said it would be, and the marina manager,” his lip curled in distaste as he mentioned the man, “He said he would only give you the information about what happened to it.”
“What? Why would anyone move my boat?” she asked, both confused and annoyed.
“My question exactly,” he agreed. “The most likely answer is that the men who are hunting you now want to see you come to the marina to work out what happened with the manager, and then whoever did it can take out the only real witness to last night’s murder. It seems this is going to take a little longer than just a day to straighten out, I’m afraid.”
“What? So, I’m dead if I go to find my home and my stuff or I lose everything and survive?” she asked in horror.
“Well, I have another option, if you’re willing to listen,” he said calmly against her surging anxiety.
“Okay,” she said warily. “I’ll listen.” Once again feeling as if she had no choice but to listen to this man and trust him.
“A friend of mine is having a cocktail party on his yacht tonight. We could go, with you as my date, and you could see the manager then, unbeknownst to anyone watching for you,” he said slowly, watching her reaction carefully.
“I have nothing to wear to a cocktail party!” she gasped.
“Leave the dress to me. The problem will be that your hair is fairly distinctive. It’s easily fixed, if you’re willing, and will act as a more or less permanent disguise from the men who are searching for you,” he said, not hiding the desire he held in his voice for her to do as he suggested. It was the one part of her physical appearance that he immediately wanted to change to something more appealing.
“My hair?” she reached up and touched the multicoloured strands. It was true, her hair was distinctive. It had never been intentional, but rather the use of cheap do it yourself kits which left a lot to be desired, and, after dabbling over time, it was just how things had begun to turn out. She’s often wished she had the money to have it taken back to her original colour, not that she really remembered what that was anymore. Maybe a light brown with a few streaks of auburn through it. “You want me to wear a wig?”
“No. Wigs can create dangerous scenarios when you’re trying to stay hidden. I want you to let a hair stylist cut and colour it,” he said, not holding back what he wanted from her now that he had started.
“I thought you said I couldn’t leave here?” she shook her head, trying to take in everything he was saying.
“Not looking like that you can’t,” he indicated her hair. “But I can get a stylist here to fix it. I can get you a designer dress and shoes. I can make you into someone not even your work friends will recognise anymore.”
“I just don’t get why you would do all of this for me,” she said, not agreeing to his offer, but seriously considering it if for no other reason than because changing her hair was something she wished she could afford to do for a while now.
“Honestly, it’s been a while since I’ve wanted to do this for anyone,” he said, looking at her intensely. “Despite what you see, I know what it’s like to be broke and just need a break. Think of me as that break. Let me protect you from people who don’t want any witnesses to the murder of my brother until I can find out who did it and why. Let me do this for you, I want to do this for you.” He closed the small distance between them. “Please, Olivia, you won’t have to feel indebted to me. Look around, I can afford a simple cocktail dress and a haircut for you, and I would be more than happy to have you come with me to my friend’s party as my date tonight.”
“As your date?” she frowned. “I thought this was just a way to find out what happened to my home and belongings?”
“It is, but there is no reason we can’t have a little fun at the party as well,” the corners of his mouth turned up into that small smile that showed his genuine pleasure at the thought, and Olivia melted a little beneath its warmth.
“Can I think about it while we eat?” she asked. “I’m not so sure I could pass for one of the girls you date. I’m usually the one serving the drinks and cleaning up the messes, not on the other side of the equation, and the idea of that makes me pretty uncomfortable. What if I embarrass you by saying the wrong thing to the wrong person?”
“I don’t care what anyone thinks or says, that’s how I got to be where I am. Trust me, you couldn’t upset or embarrass me at this party if you tried,” Remy picked up the burger Aunty Bea placed in front of him for lunch and took a large bite. He watched her carefully, seeing the fingers of one of her hands toying with a strand of hair again as she ate, picking at the burger one-handed. “Eat,” he encouraged, taking another large bite, confident that she would do as he suggested. He had no illusions that just because he was tipping the scales in his favour that she would be a pushover and allow him the control of her life that he now craved since having her in his home where he wanted her. She was very amenable to his suggestions though, and he tried hard to keep the authoritative, commanding tone he would have liked to have used with her from his voice.
*****
The afternoon sun was still bright as Olivia studied her reflection nervously. The hair stylist had been friendly and talkative as she set about creating a style and colour palette they were both happy with. With all the split ends gone and long layers making her hair seem windswept and full of body, she had to admit the woman was very good at her job. Her hair was coloured a dark blonde, almost brown at its base, but the lighter blonde streaks in two different colours gave it the multihued tones she was used to, but within the same palette of colour, making it seem as if it was naturally sun bleached. A far cry from the brash and brassy black, red and almost purple hair she had sported for the last few years.
To her surprise, the stylist had arrived with a beautician, who had given her acrylic nails, making them all the perfect length and coloured in a pale pink that glittered in the right light but were not over the top. Her eyebrows had been reshaped, and her make-up applied with the same careful attention to detail as everything else that had been done to her. She dressed carefully in the outfit Remy had chosen for her, a simple little back dress over sumptuous satin and lace underwear with strappy high heels also in black.
For the first time in her life she had no need to carry a bag. She had no keys and no phone to take with her, and she doubted she would need her empty wallet and ID. The slim lipstick she wanted to take with her could be carried in Remy’s pocket if she wanted, although the beautician assured her that her lipstick would not smudge or need to be replaced. She felt as alien to herself as her reflection looked. It was hard to believe she was the same girl who had agreed to this transformation as a disguise. No one she knew would recognise her at this moment. She wasn’t even sure Remy would recognise her as the girl he had saved last night. There was only one way to find out though, and, picking up the matching black wrap for her shoulders, she made her way downstairs to meet him.
She smiled as she saw him waiting patiently, and as he turned to take her in his smile was wider than she had seen it. He wore a black suit, and she noted that his jacket made his shoulders seem wider and his physique look even more attractive than she had known it to be in his more casual clothes from today. Once again the attraction she felt for him rose to colour her cheeks before she could squash it down again. She couldn’t cross that line; it would be the beginning of the end. If she threw herself at him and he rejected her, where would she go? She had nowhere to go and no way to go anywhere. At this moment she had no home, she was broke, and people wanted to kill her. She had to rely on this man and trust him, she had no choice. It reminded her yet again that she needed her phone back. If she were forced out on her own her phone would be her lifeline.
“Wow, you look even more beautiful than I imagined you would,” Remy said softly as she made it to the bottom of the stairs without falling in the too high heels. “Ready to go?” he asked, his smile returning to the soft half smile that showed his pleasure.
“As ready as I’ll ever be. Are you sure this will work?” Olivia asked, her nervousness lacing her voice, making it higher than usual.
“Look,” he said, turning her toward the large mirror in the entrance way. “Do you recognise yourself?”
“Not at all,” she gave a nervous laugh made more so by the feeling of his large hands resting on her upper arms from where he had taken hold of her and turned her toward the mirror. He stood behind her, and, to her, they made a picture-perfect couple at that moment. She closed her eyes and tried to rid her mind of the image. She couldn’t think like that, she had to keep this as business-like as possible. He had saved her because she was a witness to the murder of his brother. He felt sorry for her losing her home and was probably helping her find it so he could ask her to leave his home and allow him to have his privacy back.
“Here,” he said, breaking the spell of their joint reflection. He handed Olivia a small shoulder bag with a long strap. “I want you to have your phone for emergencies. Nothing will go wrong, but just in case, you have your phone, and, although programmed into your phone now, you also have my card with all of my numbers, as well as Kairos’s contact details in case we get separated.” He had also placed a small money clip in there with several hundred dollars in case she needed to get back to his house on her own. Not that that would happen as long as she had her phone with her, now that it had several of his own monitoring apps installed.
“Thank you,” she said, surprised by the bag and that he had wanted her to have her phone for safety reasons, the danger of what they were doing coming back to her full force.
“Kairos will drive us tonight. Come,” he placed a hand in the small of her back and guided her outside to the car.
Olivia slid into the car, tugging down on the hem of her dress as it rode up to expose even more of her legs. Both of the dresses he had given her today were far shorter than she would normally wear or was comfortable with. She was surprised to find that Remy slid into the car beside her rather than in the front with Kairos.
“Your dress is fine,” he said softly, reaching over to still her hands. Keeping one wrapped in his own, he looked at her with a soft expression and squeezed the hand reassuringly. “Nervous?”
“Very,” she admitted. “Are you sure this is a good idea, you know, taking me to a party with your friends? I can’t imagine I will fit in at all.”
“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “You look beautiful, and I am more than happy to be the lucky one to have you as my date.” He gave her a half smile that made her heart flutter and squeezed her hand again. “We won’t stay long, just long enough to find out what we need and be polite. You have nothing to be concerned about, I’ll keep you safe, and this will help.” He proffered a black velvet box and opened it toward her.
“It’s lovely!” Olivia gasped. She had not expected this. “Is it some form of Celtic design?” she asked, seeing the delicate gold chain and the pendant with a stylised knotted symbol.
“It’s a traditional design. My ancestors used to create this knot with their hair right here,” he tapped just above his right temple. “Apparently, it was all the rage back in the time of Rome’s conquest of the world. My ancestors were on the losing side of that war machine for a while, but they learned to survive by being mobile…” His voice trailed off. “You don’t want a history lesson, but wear this tonight, it will show that you are under my protection.”
“I’m not so sure about this,” she hesitated. She knew what wearing a man’s personal symbol could mean, at least in some circles. She was not as naïve as this man probably thought.
“You can take it off straight after the party,” Remy said, taking it from the box and holding it up as if offering to help her with it. “Good girl,” he said softly near her ear as she turned and allowed him to place the chain and pendant around her neck.
Olivia’s skin prickled, and she felt as if there had just been a big shift in the relationship, but still feeling like she had little choice but to see this through now. It wasn’t like she could run away, she had nothing and no one to help her except maybe this man who had done nothing but treat her kindly since helping her escape certain death the night before. She shivered as his fingers trailed lightly over the back of her neck, doing up the clasp, and seemed to linger there just a moment too long before withdrawing. Her attraction to him was growing, but there was something that held her back, and she couldn’t put her finger on it. She sat back and looked at him.
“It’s perfect,” he reached out and adjusted the pendant on her chest, his fingers once again lightly brushing her skin.
“Thank you,” Olivia whispered, not knowing how else to respond and trying to fight her own physical attraction to this man. He surprised her by taking her hand again and holding it for the remainder of the car ride as he asked her about her life and her boat. Olivia glossed over her old life and concentrated on her time with Kevin and how she had wound up broke and bartending in this town.
The drive to the marina seemed much shorter than their speeding getaway from it the night before, and, as she stepped from the car, she realised they were at the upper end of the marina, far removed from the decrepit old dock where her boat was berthed. They walked through the marina, following the subtle music and chatter of a cocktail party already in full swing.
These people obviously knew Remy and respected him, Olivia noted. She was introduced to a myriad of people she knew she would never remember as they entered the party. Remy was solicitous throughout, never leaving her alone and always having a hand on the small of her back or holding her hand throughout the ordeal. Olivia kept waiting for the moment where someone would discover that she was a fraud and didn’t belong here. She might have once upon a time, but not anymore.
Memories of large and lavish parties thrown by her uncles and cousins ran through her head, and she did her best to remember her manners and all the etiquette training her mother had drilled into her. She had been brought up to be a lady in every sense of the word. It was imagined that she would marry well into another such family of wealth and social standing. That had been before she had met and run away with Kevin. Now she was a nobody, with nothing and no one to care about her, except, strangely, a man who she had known for less than twenty-four hours and who looked after her as if she was something precious to be treasured and protected from harm.
Olivia watched a glamorous and extraordinarily beautiful woman leaning up to kiss Remy’s cheek and embrace him. She felt a small wave of jealousy, even though she knew she had no right to feel that way. The woman introduced her escort, who greeted them both with a curt nod of his head, and Remy introduced her.
“Olivia, this is Madonna Schwann, an old and dear friend,” Remy said with a smile.
“Enough of the old,” Madonna chided him good-naturedly. “I see she already wears the Suebian Knot,” she raised an eyebrow in Remy’s direction.
“She does,” he said in a tone that seemed to end any further discussion on the subject. Olivia reached up and touched the pendant at her throat. She felt like she should know that word, but not quite being able to grasp the familiarity of it. She was distracted as Kairos approached their small group and spoke quietly to Remy, who, even though he had stepped away slightly, had kept hold of her hand.
“He’s here,” Remy murmured in her ear, coming back to stand beside her. The sun had set, and it felt like they had been mingling and making small talk with the other party goers for hours. She frowned, not realising who was here or why he was telling her for several moments until he made his excuses to their companions and guided her downstairs to the rear of the yacht where the slimy marina manager waited at a small onboard docking area with Kairos.
“That’s not the woman who owns the boat,” the manager eyed the men suspiciously.
“I just had my hair changed, that’s all, Vinnie,” she stepped forward. “I need to know what happened to my boat.” She said, moving closer to the man and feeling Remy shadow her as the man raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked her over appreciatively. He licked his lips and eyed Remy nervously as he let out a small growl.
“The police took it as evidence. Some dickhead offed himself on the dock last night, and bits of his brain were found on the hull of your boat, so they took it,” he shrugged. “You still have to pay rent if you want to keep the berth,” he grumbled at her, and his eyes flicked nervously at Remy and then Kairos. “I’ll be going then.”
“Wait! The police wouldn’t just take my home and not leave a card or some instructions on how I can get my stuff back!” she said in alarm. She didn’t have much, but it was all she had. “Everything I own is on that boat!”
“Nope, they just flashed their badges when I asked what the hell they were doing and towed her away. Best call the water police in the morning if you want to find out more,” Vinnie said as if wiping his hands of the problem. “Rents due end of the month whether the boat is there or not, otherwise I will rent the berth to someone else.”
“Shit!” Olivia cursed. She had no home, and after blowing off work tonight, she doubted she would have a job. She felt the sting of tears threaten to spill from her eyes and blinked rapidly.
“He’s a real charmer,” Remy said disgustedly out loud while his mind was pleased with the performance the man had just given and nodded at Kairos to pay the man. “I’ll help you work it all out tomorrow. Come back upstairs for a little while, then we can say our goodbyes and head home.”
“Home?” she queried, feeling wretched about how truly awful her life had become.
“Yes, Home,” he said softly. “You’ll stay with me until we can get his sorted out.”
“Thank you,” she said softly, and turned toward him, impulsively wrapping her arms around his waist just to feel something other than totally alone and adrift at that moment. Between her experiences with Kevin and being a bartender, Olivia rarely drank herself, and she found the few cocktails she had drunk during the party had gone to her head. She shouldn’t be hugging the man and finding comfort in his steadfastness and the kindness he was showing her, but right now he was a lifeboat to the sinking ship that was her life.
Remy wrapped his arms around her and bent his head to press his lips to the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her. Yes, he acknowledged, she felt so right in his arms, and the plans he had to pull together on the fly today were working exactly the way he wanted. Now he would have time to make proper plans without the urgency of ensuring she would turn to him rather than running back to the family she had run away from.
“Oh gosh, I’m sorry,” she said as if coming to her senses. “I shouldn’t have done that.” She released her arms and went to step away.
“I’m glad you did,” he said huskily, keeping one arm wrapped around her, holding her close, and, placing a finger under her chin, tilted her face up to his. “I’ve wanted to do that all day, and this,” he bent his head and brushed his lips lightly over hers in a tender chaste kiss.
“You have?” she asked, bewildered.
“Even with multi-coloured hair and casual clothes, you are beautiful, Olivia. A man would have to be a eunuch not to want to kiss you,” Remy said quietly, looking into her eyes. After searching them for a long moment, he bent to kiss her again, this time deepening the kiss with an insistent tongue that glided over her lips until she parted them for him to explore her mouth, her own tongue wrapping around his as she gave in to her need to be close to another human being, to him.
“Let’s say our goodbyes and go home,” he said after abruptly ending the kiss. “I want more of that, and more of you,” he said huskily. Keeping an arm around Olivia’s waist, he guided her back up onto the deck where the partygoers were all laughing and having a good time, totally unaware of how Olivia’s life was unravelling around her and how Remy was gathering those threads of her life and weaving a new one for her. One where she belonged to him, body and soul.
In the car he had pulled her onto his lap and kissed her again, his hand travelling the length of her long bare legs as he did so. In her mind, Olivia couldn’t quite fathom how she had gone from grateful for his kindness and protection to being in his arms and kissing this man. When he finally came up for air, she blinked up at him, stunned by the look of arousal and something else she couldn’t put a name to written on his face.
Remy could see her thinking and willed Kairos to drive faster. He didn’t want her questioning this moment when he would make her his and bind her to him. She had exceeded all his hopes for tonight, and now, as she lay curled in his lap, her beautiful golden hair catching the light and her sea green eyes blinking up at him, he felt nothing but his desire for her. All of the other considerations he had contemplated as he had investigated and stalked her dissipated around his overwhelming need to own, control and dominate this beautiful woman’s life. She quite obviously didn’t know her own worth, and her insecurities leant themselves to his desire, but he also knew he needed to be cautious so as not to scare her away before he could fully bind her to him.
Olivia reached up and touched his cheek, as he had hers. It didn’t seem real, yesterday she was contemplating her horrible existence, and tonight she was heading home with a rich, powerful and, not to mention, very attractive man who seemed to genuinely care for her and what happened to her. The niggling misgivings she had been having seemed to have been discarded the moment when Vinnie had delivered the news about her boat, and she had turned to him for comfort. She knew she wouldn’t have acted that way without the Dutch courage from the cocktails earlier, but now it didn’t seem to matter.
“What a difference a day makes,” she whispered softly, as he once again released her mouth so they could breathe.
“What a difference, indeed,” he agreed huskily. “We’re home,” he said as the car slowed to enter the gates that would lock out the rest of the world and keep them safe from outside influences.
*****
“I want you,” he whispered, and his mouth descended on hers before she could argue the point, and he swallowed her whimper, deepening the kiss and willing her to relax and meld into him as she had done earlier that night. He pulled her tight against him, one hand lowering to her ass, the other running up her back and into her hair, taking hold of the long strands and pulling, not so gently, to make her gasp.
Olivia felt his lips brush hers, tasting her, tempting her, coaxing her to more until she opened up to whimper and allow him instant access to her mouth and tongue. The way he held her and kissed her felt like an attempt to possess her, and she both revelled in and rebelled against the feel of it. After so much had happened, she worried this might be going too fast, and she would hate to see regret in his eyes tomorrow morning and have the possibility of him kicking her out. She broke free and looked up at him.
“Maybe we should slow down?” she asked breathlessly. “Talk about this? We have barely known each other twenty-four hours, and, despite appearances, I don’t usually jump into bed with every man who saves me,” she teased, enjoying his look of barely controlled desire for her.
“I’m sure you need saving more often than not, but talking can wait until the morning, it has been superseded by a more urgent priority,” he groaned and kissed her again, moving her closer to the bed. Dragging down the zipper at the back of her dress, he began to undress her, needing to see her properly in all her glory. He had fantasised about taking this body for days, even weeks, and now she would give it to him willingly, or he would take it by force. It was going to happen one way or the other now, because he had to have her. “This is happening,” he murmured, and she felt him begin to tug at his clothes, and within minutes his suit joined her dress on the floor. “I want to see you and feel you,” he whispered hotly as he ran his hands over her breasts and removing the pretty satin and lace bra.
Olivia let herself enjoy the moment; the feeling of need from him amplified her own desire and once again squashed her misgivings. She wanted him just as much as he said he wanted her at that moment. Her hands ran over his naked chest and down to the waistband of his boxer briefs where her nails toyed along the edge teasingly. He lay her down on the bed, climbing over her, his fingers toying with one nipple as his mouth caught the other, sucking and licking greedily. She whimpered as he sucked and tugged harder and was rewarded with a groan from him as he continued to explore her breasts with rough hands and mouth that eventually bared teeth that bit her, making her cry out at the shock of it.
Like a goddess, the woman he had dreamed about having like this, writhed and whimpered below him. His free hand drifted down her body, lightly teasing her skin to her panties and deftly moved beneath him toward his goal. ‘Fuck,’ he thought, as he discovered just how wet and hot she was for him, and he ground his pelvis into her hip as his fingers sought their goal and rubbed over her clit, eliciting further high-pitched whimpers and a thrust of her hips up towards his invading hand. She was slick and ready, and he pushed her panties down her thighs before moving to remove his own underwear.
Naked, he pulled his mouth from her breast and rolled to his back, scooting up the bed to open a drawer and grab a condom. He tore it with his teeth and reached for her, dragging her further up the bed with him. He handed her the condom and pulled her down for a kiss as her hands fumbled blindly to sheath him in the latex protection.
“You, on top!” he commanded with a ragged breath, and feeling the condom in place pulled her up to sit astride him and ease down onto him. His eyes glued to her gorgeous body as she moved slowly until she took him all and ground down onto his pelvis, her hips rolling as she moaned out a quiet breath.
“You feel so good…” he exhaled in a long, loud groan. He intertwined their fingers, giving her support, and watched with hooded eyes as she began to ride him, moving up and down slowly, almost tentatively at first. “Fuck, yes!” he hissed, not taking his eyes from her bouncing breasts. He let go of her hands and grasped her hips, digging his fingers into her soft flesh, wanting to take control of her movements, control of this fuck, needing at least a little control over her after the last twenty-four hours but trying to hold back his need to dominate her.
“Oh God!” Olivia threw her head back as she felt him begin to thrust up into her in counterpoint to her movements, his hands on her hips guiding her as she rose and fell on him. She shifted slightly, making the friction almost too intense to bear as he hastened the rhythm between them, and she felt the tingling and shaking in her body reach fever pitch. Her mouth widened in heavy gasps and she opened her eyes, staring down at him, unbelieving of how incredibly gorgeous he was right then, and she came long and hard, her cry of ecstasy drowning out his feral growl as he came with her.
She collapsed down onto his chest and his arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly. They stayed that way with his cock barely softening within her. That was amazing, but she had expected as much from a man like Remington Royce. It rattled her that he was able to make her feel so much after knowing him for barely a day. She was hardly a naïve girl, but she had been shaken by the strength of her orgasm. She said nothing as her breathing returned to normal, content to lay on his chest until he was ready to talk, but as the minutes ticked by, and his hands continued to caress her arms and back, she broke the silence first.
“I should go,” Olivia said quickly, and began to sit up. She felt unsure of herself, and her right to be here with this man, as if they had shared anything but the need for stress release, and she couldn’t work out why. It was just sex. Sure, she wasn’t as experienced as some girls, but she was hardly lacking. Sure, she had rarely done more than flirting and kissing since breaking up with Kevin, but, seriously, she was tougher and stronger than this. She shouldn’t want to stay with his arms wrapped around her all night or find the idea of waking up beside him more than a little appealing. She had to be realistic, and she knew she wasn’t the type of girl men like Remy had proper relationships with.
“Stay,” he commanded in a soft voice, not allowing her to sit up properly, but rather pulling her back down and holding her tightly to his chest. “Sleep with me,” he encouraged, trying to take the edge off his commanding tone. Sleep was the last thing on his mind, however, and he brought his mouth to hers in another deep kiss. He had her now, he could be patient to have her the way he wanted as long as he had this part of her now and she remained amenable to suggestion and obedient when he commanded her. Not that she realised what she was doing most probably, or just what a thrill it was for him to find her so compliant and willing where he was concerned. The thought made him harden again, and he rolled her to her back, pinning her to the bed.
“Oh god!” Olivia moaned as she felt him start to move into her again. His mouth descended on hers, and she melted under him, meeting him thrust for thrust as he took her hard and fast, making her head spin with his desire for her. He was more aggressive this time, biting at her neck and shoulders as he fucked her and pinning her hands above her head with one of his larger hands.
“So fucking good!” he growled. “Such a hot, tight little cunt!” he said the words, shocking Olivia as he slammed into her. His free hand ran down her body and pressed between them, his fingers seeking out her clit, and she spasmed at the contact on her sensitive nub. “Cum, baby. Cum for me!” he demanded after a few minutes, and as if by his command her body arched up and she cried out. His fingernails dug into the slippery oyster that was her clit, and the pain ran through her, intensifying her orgasm as she cried out for him, her body shaking almost violently as he slammed into her rapidly, seeking his own release within her milking muscles. “Fuck!” he roared and stared down into her gasping, wide-eyed face as he came hard, shooting jets of sperm into the condom barrier between them.
“Come,” he said once they had regained some control of their bodies. “You can help me clean this mess up,” he grinned and pulled Olivia from the bed, walking to the master bathroom and disposing of the condom into a bin, his shiny cock still at half-mast and leading the way into the shower. Grateful that tomorrow was Sunday, Remy pulled Olivia into the shower with him and began tenderly washing her, noting the bite marks he had left on her breasts and neck with a pleased smile as his fingers traced over them.
Olivia washed him in return, exploring his muscled body, imagining that he worked out hard and often. She took her time exploring his cock and the large sack hanging below it. It was her first real look at him, all of him, and, although she had known he had a great body, she was a little in awe of how well he looked after himself. She wasn’t surprised that with all the fondling she had done in cleaning him completely he became hard again, and she stroked him with increasing pressure until he gritted his teeth and groaned. She looked up into the intensity of his dark eyes and saw the menace there that she had seen on the first night in the mad speeding rush to get away from the killers.
“Suck me,” he commanded in the same soft tone he had been using with her all day. He moved slightly to hinder the direct spray of the shower and placed a hand on her shoulder, encouraging her to kneel before him and do as he commanded.
Olivia faltered momentarily from the look in his eyes, but sank to her knees and moved forward, her lips brushing down the underside of his shaft and back to the tip, making him groan again. She followed the same path with her tongue before placing her lips on the head of his cock and taking it into her mouth. His hands threaded through the wet strands of her hair, encouraging her to take more as she rolled and fluttered her tongue around the head.
Remy gritted his teeth against the need he had to move and fuck her warm and inviting mouth. Her talented tongue was driving him insane, and he groaned deeply, bucking his hips slightly as she began to suck him in earnest. The wet mass of her hair tangled around his fingers and he encouraged her to move faster, deeper, to take more and more until she was gagging on him. “Fuck yes!” he hissed, throwing back his head and bucking his hips in earnest to move past that gag reflex just once before regaining the tight hold he had on his need. She could take it, of that he had no doubt, she had been a dream so far tonight, taking everything he had given her and reacting beautifully to the touches of pain he added to her pleasure. Still, he knew he would have to guide her to where he wanted her to go with care.
He stepped back and pulled her up into his arms and kissed her, shutting off the water and stepping from the shower with her in his arms. Grabbing a towel, he dried her off first and then picked her up, sitting her on the vanity bench before him. He grabbed a hairdryer from a drawer and plugged it in, handing it to her.
“Dry your hair before we go to bed,” he commanded, and, although she looked confused, she did what he asked, turning on the hairdryer and combing her fingers through her hair. Remy towelled himself dry, watching her as she sat naked and beautiful before him. He moved toward her, his hands caressing gently over her shoulders to her breasts. She looked up at him as he studied her breasts, cupping one in each hand and thumbing the pale pink nipples until they stood out hard and begging for more attention. He smiled into her shy uncertainty and bent to kiss and lick each one in turn as she continued to dry the thick tresses of her now beautiful hair. His hands skimmed down over her ribs to her thighs. Placing his hands over the top of them, he pushed her thighs further apart, opening her up fully to his gaze.
“Keep drying your hair,” he instructed quietly into her ear and placed a soft kiss on her blushing cheek. Then he knelt before her and looked at the source of his earlier pleasure and leaned forward to kiss her, running his tongue over her slit, making her thighs tense under his hands. It wasn’t often he craved the taste of a woman the way he did her. She smelt sweet and tantalising, and his tongue wended its way further between her folds seeking the source of the sweetness. He felt the heat of the dryer fall on him and looked up, scowling at her and bit at her inner thigh in warning. “Dry your hair, I don’t want you catching a cold by going to bed with wet hair.”
Olivia was overwhelmed. Delicious sensations travelled from her core throughout her body, and he expected her to keep drying her hair? She closed her eyes, trying to block out the sight of him as she once again began running her fingers through her hair and blasting it with the hot stream of air, willing it to dry quickly. She felt his tongue again and tried not to give into the sensations so quickly, but it was no use, she barely acknowledged her hands as she went into automatic pilot and her body boiled from the inside out with a mass of tingling electrical pulses that radiated from her pussy into the rest of her body. She was going to come, and any thoughts of her hair passed from her mind as first one then two fingers entered her and began to thrust in time with his teasing tongue before his lips wrapped around her sensitive clit and sucked on it in the same pulsing way.
“Oh God!” she cried out. “I… I… oh God… I need to…” The hair dryer cord pulled from the socket and fell to the bench as she came, bucking up toward his mouth and riding the fucking of his fingers, then her hands went to his head trying to hold him in place. Removing his fingers from her, he grabbed her hands and stood in one swift motion, pinning her back against the mirror and stepping between her legs, the intensely dark and menacing look in his eyes.
“I told you to dry your hair. Did you get distracted again?” he teased in a crooning voice, teasing her by rubbing his cock between her folds. “I am used to people doing what I ask,” he informed her, and releasing one of her hands reached up to run his fingers through her still damp but almost dry hair. “It will do,” he conceded, bending his head to kiss her and nibble at her lip. The next time she failed to follow his command he would punish her, but, for now, the unspoken threat was enough, he reasoned. “Come, let’s go to bed,” he took her hand, his cock still primed from her sucking in the shower.
He moved behind her as they neared the bed, and he whispered huskily in her ear. “I can’t get enough of you tonight, and I want you like this.” He gently bent her forward until she reached out and braced her hands on the bed.
Olivia heard the bedside drawer open and close, knowing he was reaching for yet another condom, and heard the packet rip, sending a shiver through her. The man was insatiable. She had never known anyone with his stamina, not that she had known many men, three, to be exact, and none of them anything like the man whose hands glided up her body, caressing her as he moved into position behind her. He was strong and commanding with an edge of something dangerous that made her melt under his touch and commanding voice. When he thrust into her, she cried out and leant back into the thrust, wanting this and the sensations he gave her just as much as he did.
Remy bent forward slightly, cupping her breasts and squeezing them tightly as he began to fuck her, again revelling in the tight feel of her hot, wet cunt around his cock. If he had been harbouring any reservations about his forced decision to take her home last night after the shooting, they were gone now. She was perfect for him, and he knew without a doubt that she would be easy to train to his desired requirements for a lover. He fucked her hard, battering into her, enjoying her sweet whimpering gasps and moans. She might not know it yet, but this woman belonged to him now, and he had already put enough in place to ensure that she would not question the hold he had on her as he continued to remake her into his vision of perfection.
Olivia felt her body respond as he took her once again to new heights, his hands left her breasts and dug into her hips as he rammed into her, making her whole body rock. As their need grew, one of his hands curled around her thigh to once again seek out the sensitive nub of her clit and without much stimulation she started cuming again, her eyes rolling in her head as sweet sensation poured over her. She had lost count of the number of times he had brought her to climax, but this time she floated on a cloud of endorphins so thick she barely registered his own grunt and expletive as his orgasm rocked him. She was exhausted and would have collapsed there beside the bed if not for his support.
Remy caught the flagging woman he had just fucked into near unconsciousness and smiled. He picked her up, placing her into bed and pulling the covers up as he threw away the used condom and cleaned himself up. A very good start, he nodded to himself and climbed into bed beside her, spooning against her back and holding her close. She was his chosen one, and she would learn exactly what that meant starting tomorrow.
*****