AMatterofLust (3 page)

But Rena was different. She wasn’t a slave to her carnal
appetites, spurred on by greed and the relentless desire for self-indulgence.
She was stronger than that. Seeing her twice probably wouldn’t hurt her. He
gave it some thought and estimated that he could probably see her every day for
a week and she’d be fine. Besides, he was older now, more experienced, and he
could moderate himself, not take quite so much. Just little tastes here and
there. Or maybe a break would help. Maybe that was the key. He could see her a
few days in a row, let her rest for a while and then…

His unwanted companion stirred beside him and Trask looked
over at her and sighed. He should take her, fulfill all her dirty little
fantasies, use her for some of his own. He did have a lot of good dirty little
fantasies. Fun things to do in the dark of night. His cock stirred to life as
he pictured a blindfolded, bound Rena, kneeling naked before him, a fistful of
her red hair in his hand. His cock in her sweet, moist mouth. The thought of
coming in all that extraordinary wetness made him hard. Then he could stand her
up and give her a quarter-inch of his cock, just let her have the tiniest taste
of his head at her entrance, tease her until she went crazy for him, begging
him to fill her. He smiled to himself. Yes, he’d very much like to hear her
beg.

A hand fell on his arm and, annoyed by the intrusion, Trask
knocked it aside. The woman gave him a pouting frown, something meant to be
cute and playful, but it only grated on his nerves. He needed to get rid of
her. His hand whipped out, ready to blast her away, but he stopped himself in
time. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t deserve that kind of punishment. “Go,” he
commanded, and the woman blinked once very hard before standing up. She exited
the club and the door shut behind her with a soft thump.

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath and took a sip of his
beer. Coming here was a bad idea. What if Rena had been here? He’d have taken
her and they would have had fun and then what? What else was there? In Trask’s
experience, nothing. And yet, it seemed as if there should be something.
Something…more.

The foreign thoughts churned in his head, frustrating him
endlessly. He couldn’t quite fathom why he was thinking about any of it. There
was nothing to think about. No matter how strong she was, Rena was still just a
human. One of very, very many. He should go out and find another one to play
with and never come back here.

Trask’s jaw tightened, everything in him rejecting the
thought of never seeing her again. He sent out one last probe for her, but she
was not there. He slid out of the chair with a mingled sense of disappointment
and relief. That settled it. It was time to go.

He stood outside the club and stared up at the starry sky.
He needed to go home. Watch a movie. Play on the internet. Jerk off. If he
could get through tonight, he’d be all right. He’d be much better tomorrow.

He turned toward home, but the sudden feeling of the sharp,
magnificent psychic energy that was Rena made his head snap around. His breath
caught in his throat when he saw her striding up the avenue toward him. The
familiar, undulating sway of her hips made his mouth water. He looked her over
from head to toe, his cock rapidly stiffening in his pants. She was a vision in
her close-fitting black top, jeans and high-heels. Her red hair hung around her
shoulders, a mass of tumultuous waves. She was a goddess.

His goddess.

She noticed him then and the smile that lit up her beautiful
face strummed something deep within him. Trask felt his own smile grow.

Chapter Three

Rena’s heart stopped when she saw Trask standing outside
Lucid and her first instinct was to run away. She wasn’t prepared for the
violent surge of longing he inspired. Anticipation, nerves, thrilling fear all
mingled in her chest, making her pulse race. Had he come here to see her? Was
it just a coincidence? Would she get to see him naked again? She really, really
wanted to see him naked again.

“Rena,” he said when she stopped before him. The deep,
velvet purr of his voice washed over her, melting all her right spots.

“Hello, Trask,” she answered. Cool. She had to be cool. Just
because he made her feel like a schoolgirl didn’t mean she had to act like one.
Her eyes flicked from him to the club and then back to him. “Did you just get
here?”

“No.” His gaze moved over her, a penetrating, intimate
caress. She felt naked before him, exposed, and very, very turned on. When
their eyes met, Rena felt the electric shock of his lust right to her core. A
pleasant warmth flared in her belly and her pussy moistened in anticipation.
Any pretense she had about working tonight instantly dropped away. He was the
only thing she wanted.

“Are you hungry?” she asked. Food was usually a surefire way
to get a guy back to her place. It had never failed her in the past. They could
eat, they could talk, they could fuck each other’s brains out.

He grinned at her like the Cheshire Cat. “Always.”

Rena smiled back. She did not at all mind the thought of
being his dinner. “I have some lobster salad at home if you’re interested.”

“I’m very interested.” His voice held a note of
flirtatiousness, but his eyes were darkly serious.

Heat rose to her cheeks and it took her a moment to realize
that he was making her blush. How long had it been since she had done that?
Never. He had the strangest effect on her. “Okay, then. Come with me.”

His smile grew wider. “I’d love to.”

The giggle burst out before she could stop herself. He
really did make her feel like a schoolgirl. She turned on her heel to head back
down the avenue. “All right, handsome,” she called over her shoulder. “Let’s
go.”

He took hold of her wrist and pulled her back to his side.
Rena’s pulse jumped as she breathed in that clean, spicy scent that was all
him. Her eyes fixed on his mouth and she licked her lips, remembering his kiss.
She had to have just one more taste of him, for just one more night. It didn’t
have to be about anything other than sex. Really. She could handle it.

She met his gaze and shivered. The look in his dark eyes was
enough to inspire several lifetimes of raunchy fantasies. She smiled as a
sizzling tingle washed over her skin, igniting heat in her belly. Tonight was
going to be fun.

He smiled back and laced his fingers through hers. “Lead the
way.”

They strolled down the avenue, past the wine bar, the
newsstand, the Italian meat market and the nail salon, past the Vietnamese
restaurant and the tattoo parlor that often had two-for-one sales, the pizza
place that had been there since the fifties, the bank that seemed to change
names every few months, and then turned down tree-lined Kane Street. It was a
pleasant night, good walking weather and the moon was high and bright in the
sky. She could feel the weight of his presence at her side, the warm comfort of
his hand in hers, and desire burned in her chest. She snuck a glance at him and
was all too easily able to envision herself straddling his waist, rocking back
and forth on his long, hard cock. Her inner muscles clenched, wanting him
again.

“Do you live around here?” she asked, needing to distract
herself from her hot thoughts. She wasn’t going to make it through dinner if
she kept that up.

“I do.” He pointed to the north. “Just on the other side of
Atlantic.”

Rena pictured the area. That meant he lived in Brooklyn
Heights. Probably at one of the nicer addresses judging from the black jacket
he wore, the pants so perfectly tailored there was no way they came off any
rack. “Have you been there long?”

“Not long,” he said.

Rena waited for him to add more, but he didn’t. Not that she
was surprised. She was certain her sexy Darkman had a lot of secrets. She
wondered if she would ever learn any of them. She wanted to. They were probably
pretty damn interesting.

“I grew up here,” she continued, filling the comfortable
silence between them. “My dad owned Lucid before me.” She smiled. “Well, it
wasn’t Lucid then, it was Grant’s and it was just your typical local watering
hole for the guys after work.” She laughed, taking in all the new construction
around her, the hipster couples, the people who would have been too afraid to
explore one of New York’s outer boroughs not so long ago. It was completely
different from the working-class place in which she had grown up. “This
neighborhood has changed, but I still love it. I don’t think I’ll ever leave.”

“Really?” Trask said. He seemed to become aware of their
surroundings, looking all around with sudden interest. “I don’t know that I
could stay in one place for that long.”

“Oh no?” She tried to keep the disappointment out of her
voice and chastised herself for allowing it to be there at all. That kind of
pointless sentiment was only going to get her in trouble. “Why not?”

He shrugged, gave her a grin. “I get bored.” He dropped her
hand and slid his arm around her waist, drawing her tightly against him. “I do
like Brooklyn though.”

Rena rolled her eyes. Why did men always have to do things
like that? In one breath he was telling her how he easily he gets bored, and in
the next, he was all in love or something. Did he think she needed the empty
reassurances in order to get laid? It was such a stupid, unnecessary game. “Right,”
she said, drawing out the word for effect, “because Brooklyn has everything you
need, doesn’t it?”

He blinked as though he was surprised and looked over at her
curiously. “Brooklyn does have everything I need.”

Rena groaned good-naturedly. “Whatever you say.”

Trask’s eyebrows knitted together and he contemplated her
for a long time before answering. “You doubt me.” He shook his head in what
seemed like amazement. “Why do you doubt me?”

“It’s not that I doubt you exactly,” she said with a shrug.
“It’s more that I don’t need the sappiness.”

“Sappiness, is it?” he said quietly. He met her eyes. “And
what if I told you straight out that you are everything I want? Would you
believe me then?”

Rena snorted out a laugh. “Absolutely not.” Still, his
insistence was nice and it lit a small, brilliant light way back in the
recesses of her heart. “Though it is nice to hear.”

“But I do want you,” he said, emphasizing each word.

“I know you do,” she said, and her heart hurt a little. It
was too bad he didn’t mean it the way she wished he could.

Trask shook his head, laughing even as confusion wrinkled
his brow. “If you know, then why do you doubt?”

Rena laughed along with him. “Okay, okay,” she consented.
“You have a point.” She grinned over at him. “Please, Trask, constantly tell me
how much you want me. How does that sound?”

“That sounds like something I can do,” he said, gathering
her closer.

She leaned into him, enjoying his heat, the comfort of his
arm around her. “So, what do you do?” she asked, changing the subject to more
neutral territory. She ran her hand up and down his side, loving the feel of
all that hard muscle under her palm.

He tilted his head from side to side, thinking the question
over. “I guess I’m an art dealer of sorts. Antiques, rare items, oddities,
things like that.”

She looked up at him, fascinated. “Really? And you sell
them? Do you have a store?”

“No, nothing like that,” he said, caressing her hip. “I
prefer to acquire unique items rather than sell them, though I do that on
occasion.” He looked down at her and her pussy tingled from the strength of his
gaze. “I have an immense appreciation for beautiful and exceptional things.”

Rena smiled and shook her head. It seemed he was going to
persist with his flattery. She decided to let it slide because apparently
nothing she said was going to deter him. She tried very hard to ignore the
flare of warm delight that he ignited in her chest, but it was difficult,
mostly because she didn’t want to ignore it. It felt too good.

They turned another corner and Rena pointed to the opposite
side of the street. “Here,” she said, excitement building within her. “We’re
here.”

Trask followed her up the brownstone’s stairs and into her
apartment. They paused in the foyer and her eyes instantly flicked to the left.
Toward her bedroom.

One thing at a time
, she told herself and took a deep
breath. “Food,” she said. That was step one. Everything else could come later.
She flashed him a smile and then headed for the kitchen. “Let’s go get
something to eat.”

He took hold of her elbow, stopping her in her tracks. His
dark eyes met hers and Rena’s panties just about melted. “I’m not really hungry
for food.”

“No?” she asked as he drew her into his arms. Her pulse
fluttered in her throat, racing to life as she settled against him.

“No,” he said, and then pressed his lips to hers. He worked
her mouth open and touched his tongue to hers, sending a rush of liquid heat to
her pussy. She opened her eyes for a brief second as they kissed, peeking at
him. He was so achingly beautiful. His long, dark lashes curled against his
cheek and his eyelids fluttered as he deepened the kiss. Rena let her eyes
drift back shut, losing herself in the taste of him.

He dove into her and Rena truly felt as if he was actually
savoring her, the intensity and depth of his kiss sinking to her core. Her
fingers twined in his dark hair and her breathing accelerated as he backed her
up against the wall. He squeezed her breast over her shirt and then dipped his
hand between her thighs. Rena’s legs went rubbery when he ran his knuckles over
the length of her entrance and then pushed.

His mouth moved to her jaw, licking and nipping his way
along her throat. “Rena,” he murmured against her ear and tugged on her shirt.
All his desire, all his longing, was evident in that one word and it made
Rena’s heart soar. He made her feel like the most beautiful and desirable woman
in the world and she wanted to be exactly that for him.

He lifted one of her legs around his waist and she let out a
soft, “Oooh,” when he pressed his erection into her. His hands gripped her ass,
spreading her legs wider. He bent his knees and pushed up into her, a hard
thrust that smashed her against the wall. She clung to him as he thrust again,
the length of him rubbing against her. Her mouth found his and she kissed him
with everything she had in her.

He lifted her other leg around his waist, fully supporting
her weight. He rocked against her, dry humping her against the wall. He broke
the kiss to nuzzle her throat, his breath hot on her neck. Her legs tightened
around him. “Now,” she panted, clawing at his back, trying to tear away the
annoying clothing between them. “Please.”

He shifted his weight, got a better grip on her and then
carried her through the apartment. She pointed to her bedroom and he toed the
door open. Rena laughed when he dropped her abruptly down on the bed. She
reached for him, but he stepped back, out of her grasp. The smile that touched
his lips was both dangerous and sexy and Rena’s pussy got a whole lot wetter.
He stroked himself over his pants, a wildfire burning the caverns of his dark
eyes. “Strip for me, Rena.”

An electrifying tingle traveled from the top of her head,
right down to her toes. Her eyes followed his hand as it slowly moved over his
cock. This was a game she could get into. She rose up on her knees and lifted
her shirt over her head, smiling at him as she tossed it aside. He leaned back
against the opposite wall, stroking himself as he watched her, a small smile on
his lips. Keeping her eyes locked on his, she stood up on the bed and
unbuttoned her jeans. She shimmied them down her legs, fully enjoying the
heated weight of his stare. She ran her hands over her breasts, gave them a
squeeze just for his benefit and then knelt back down on the bed. Her nipples
were already hard and she gave them a little pinch before reaching behind her
back to unfasten her bra and then toss it aside. Only her panties remained. She
slid her hand down between her thighs and cupped her pussy.

His eyes instantly locked on to her hand and he watched her
touch herself with rapt attentiveness. She could hear his breathing pick up in
pace and he met her eyes for a brief second before shrugging out of his jacket
and lifting off his shirt. He unbuttoned his pants and let them fall to the
floor. His cock stood out large and proud between his legs and he stroked the
full length of himself as his gaze returned to her pussy.

She smiled at him, extended her legs out in front of her and
slowly slid her panties off. She lay back on the bed and spread her legs wide,
offering him everything.

He instantly went to his knees before her and kissed her
entrance, gently teasing her with little kisses and licks. Her pussy flooded
with heat and warmth and she whimpered as he played. A few more licks and then
he stood up, ready to fuck.

She reached over to her nightstand, pulled out a condom and
handed it to him. He ripped the package open with his teeth and put it on. He
traced her instep, her ankle, then slid his hand up her calf. He pulled her
toward him, bringing her right to the edge of the bed, and lifted her leg to
his shoulder. His cock touched her entrance and she arched her back, needing
him to fill her. He held back, teasing her with the length of his cock,
tickling and tormenting her wet folds.

He cupped her breast and then bent his head to take her taut
nipple into his mouth. He sucked it hard, his teeth tugging and playing, and
Rena writhed in his arms, rocking her hips and grinding her clit against his
thick shaft. Her hands gripped his ass, trying to pull him inside. “Trask,” she
pleaded. She was burning, being incinerated from the inside and she needed him
now.