Enemy Lovers (3 page)

“It's a written agreement,” he said, a faint air of challenge, of attitude.

It was his silent ultimatum that made her straighten, set her toddy aside and accept the pages. She started reading, stopping before she reached point one. Her gaze lifted to his. “A contract between lovers?”

“Yeah. Read, digest, ask questions. If you agree, sign and we go from there. If we're having sex, I want your signature stating you agreed. Last thing I need are accusations of rape.”

He met her gaze without dissembling, sure and confident. Unapologetic.

His cool attitude fostered the same in her plus understanding. Her family…

She gave a curt nod and applied her attention to what was essentially a legal document between lovers. If she signed, she was agreeing to become his lover for— “One month?” she queried. “Why a month? We're talking a weekend.”

“I don't think two days will be enough.”

Her stomach did a little shimmy—excitement or fear. Laura wasn't certain. “We could amend and initial the agreement.”

“I'd prefer to leave it as is. You might start to act crazy once this weekend is over and say I initialed the agreement afterward. I don't want to give you reasons to dispute this contract at a later date.”

“I thought men were the ones who enjoyed uncomplicated.”

“A month is the perfect length of time to explore each other. I'm kind of bossy. I'd want you to submit to my every whim.”

Wait. “I'm not a submissive.”

His gaze speared into her, hard and compelling. “Why don't we explore the possibilities and see? Aren't you curious about how good we'd be together?”

The wretched man had an answer for everything. “So you're saying you want me for a month?”

“I want to do things properly.”

Laura resisted her urge to roll her eyes—a difficult assignment. None of what had happened today was appropriate. Propositioning a man—the enemy—certainly wasn't proper or dignified. Heck, it didn't even rate as smart. But something in him called and goaded her to the shocking. “How do we continue this contract after the weekend is over?”

Maybe she
should
let him act the instructor. She might learn something.

“You could do a trial period as my new admin person. I'll give you a basic wage. We can spend some of our nights together.”

She thought about it, nodded. His offer of a job was the deciding factor. “If the job works out, you'll keep me on? You wouldn't fire me after our month ends?”

“I'll judge you solely on your merits. If you're as good as you say, you won't have any problems. What about your family? What would they think of you working for the enemy?”

“I can deal with my family.” If she told herself that enough she might come to believe. She lowered her eyes to read the document again. It seemed fair, straightforward. “Do you have a pen?”

For an instant, she thought she saw surprise flicker across his face, but it was gone so swiftly she decided she'd imagined the emotion. He stood, grabbed a pen off the kitchen counter and returned to her side.

She took it, stared at the blank space mocking her before signing her name with a flourish. She offered the pen to him and watched him sign in bold strokes.

Let the games begin.

Chapter Three

Laura Drummond was a surprise. A challenge. Dallas placed the signed contract on the side table without taking his eyes off her. Although she was young, she possessed a classy polish. She'd tidied her blonde hair and it hung in sexy waves around her face, scraped her shoulders when she swung her head. Her brown eyes were the color of his Irish whiskey while her skin was pale and looked silky-smooth.

The sweats hid her curves, but he knew they were there. She wasn't a skinny model wannabe, and he liked that—nothing worse than sharp bones. He preferred a little padding to cradle him when he made love to a woman.

Love.

The word gave him pause. This weekend would be about sex. A tiny voice at the back of his mind chuckled. She challenged him, made him laugh. She poked his curiosity. Unlike her siblings, she'd left Clare to live and work in Napier. She hadn't acted the sponge and settled in luxurious comfort at the Drummond mansion.

“Do you like pasta?” he asked.

“Love it, although I don't get to eat it very often.”

“Are you on a diet?”

She made a rude sound. “Someone wash the man's mouth out with soap. You with the four-letter words.”

He grinned. “I won't tell if you don't.”

“Tell me about the pubs,” she said, taking a sip of her toddy. “Do you have Irish music nights?”

“We do, plus the usual pub things. Darts. Karaoke. Quiz nights. Anything to bring in the customers.”

“Where are the pubs?”

“One is in Lester Street and the other is off the main street, near the main clump of art deco buildings.”

She nodded. “Where do you live?”

“The Lester Street pub has a flat above it. If I'm not here at the cabin, I stay at the pub. What about you?”

She wrinkled her nose. “The best way to pry myself loose from Clare was by promising to stay at the company apartment. It was a compromise. Once I get a steady income and save enough to pay the rental security bond plus the first week of rent, I'll find my own place. Another degree of separation,” she said drily. “My family try to micro-manage me. They still think of me as the baby. When do I get to kiss you?”

“When I say so.” It was difficult to restrain his amusement but he managed. God, he loved a challenge. He'd needed this, needed her. His brothers were right. He was hiding behind the business, but Maria had ripped his guts out when they parted. Something about Laura spoke to him, made him want to totter back to normalcy.

“So, when you mentioned bossy, what do you mean?”

“I like to control the way my relationship goes.” He swallowed the dregs of his toddy while he marshaled his thoughts. “And sometimes I dip into kinky.”

“What sort of kinky? Spanking? Anal? Something along those lines?”

“Yes.”

A frown creased her forehead. “I'm not very good with pain.”

He moved closer and stepped into bossy mode. He slipped his arm around her tense shoulders and drew her against him. She sighed and gingerly relaxed. “Don't worry about that. I know what I'm doing. You're safe with me.” With the tip of his finger under her chin, he directed her gaze to meet his. “We'll take things at your pace. I promise.”

“How did you learn this stuff?”

“Your family would say I practiced a lot with other women.”

Laura pulled a face. “You smell nice.”

“Thanks.” He smiled against her hair. Never in his wildest dreams had he suspected he'd cuddle with the enemy or that he'd feel happy about the experience. Already, he imagined his brothers voicing their opinions, telling him he was letting himself in for a shitload of trouble. Hell, he knew it, and yet she tempted him to march across enemy lines anyway.

“Why is it so important to you to get a job on your own, a flat? Your parents give you anything you want.”

“I know,” she said. “I'm lucky to live such a privileged life. But I want to do things on my own, make my own way. Hell, it'd even be fun to make mistakes. From the outside, living in the world of wealth is easy, but it's a prison. My life has a set of rules, expectations, and if I don't do what my parents or older siblings say, they withhold privileges. Achievements don't mean a thing if a person doesn't have to struggle for a goal.”

“But you're twenty-three. I was living on my own in Melbourne at that age.”

“Ah, you forget. I'm the baby of the family. There's a big gap between me and Aaron. I've had to fight for every piece of freedom.”

“I'm not going to come between you and your parents. I won't fight wars for you.”

“Heck,” she said in disgust, fighting to straighten.

He released her, and she turned on her scowl. Full force with nothing held back.

“Not you too. You're not listening. I want to fight my own battles, live my own life, and if I make mistakes, that's my problem. I'll cope with the consequences. I'm not a stupid blonde bimbo. I have a brain. I'm capable and determined. I intend to live my life and live it well.”

Her breasts heaved with the force of her conviction, and his interest in her deepened. Deep, still waters and all that crap. “And my desire to boss you around doesn't worry you?”

“I signed your agreement. I want to bump against your ugly naked parts, hopefully for the entire month. But what happens in the bedroom stays in the bedroom. You don't get to boss me around the rest of the time.”

Fair enough. Things that happened in the privacy of a bedroom didn't need to continue outside the home. But an urge to tug her tail in the same way she'd tweaked him from the moment he'd offered his aid grabbed, twisted, provoked. “What would you say if I expected submission outside the bedroom?”

“You'd have to earn the right,” she said, her tone fierce. “You'd need to prove to me that deep down it was something I wanted. Hell, I've read
Fifty Shades
. Most people have, but I know myself well enough to say a controlling man in my life wouldn't work. Too many years of fighting to exert my independence.”

And yet she hadn't put up much of a fight when it came to their agreement. Interesting. “I'm going to explore you, touch your face and body. I want you to stand in front of me and let me grope you.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

She drank the last of her toddy and handed her empty glass to him. “All right, but if you intend to check my teeth, you should watch your fingers. I'm not broken, and I might bite.”

There was a long pause—startled on his part, his smile of delight struggling for freedom. He wanted to test her… His grin slipped his grasp and spread across his lips, tugging his facial muscles and reverberating to his cock. “I'll keep your warning in mind. Are you warm enough?”

“Yes.”

“Warm enough to take off your sweats?”

She shivered, her pupils dilating. She stared at him, yet he didn't glimpse a shred of doubt. “I'm warm enough.”

“All right then.”

She stood and started to tug up her sweat top.

“No. Let me do it.” His breath caught while he waited for her assent. She was a surprise gift, one he couldn't wait to unwrap.

After scanning his expression, she gave a swift nod.

Unable to resist, he leaned down and kissed her—a gentle kiss with no hint of sexual undercurrent. Her lips were petal-soft, and her entire body trembled at the contact. He drew back to brush the pad of his thumb over her mouth. He caressed her cheeks, pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. Gradually, tension faded from her shoulders. Her breathing slowed, and she didn't flinch at each new touch. Her eyes fluttered closed, and he, too, relaxed.

No matter that his family would feel as horrified as hers. This—being with Laura—felt right on so many levels.

“Lift your arms for me.”

She obeyed instantly, her features relaxed. He whisked the fleecy top over her head and tossed it aside.

She wore a figure-hugging shirt beneath. It clung to her breasts—large breasts—and showed an hourglass figure. She was sturdy, yet only an ungenerous person would claim she was fat. Instinct told him her mother, her sisters, might have committed the sin, yet Laura hadn't flinched at his scrutiny.

“What's your verdict?”

Her soft question confirmed his thoughts.

“You have the body of a Hollywood glamour girl. I can see you in a tight red dress, your hair in a fancy up-do and your lips painted crimson. High heels.”

“My mother thinks I should diet.”

“What do you think?” His brain screamed to proceed with caution. Some women were weird when it came to talk of food and diets and body shape. He steered a clear course away from women focused on lettuce leaves.

“I think I'm a healthy weight for my build and height. I exercise and eat properly. The specialist told my mother the same thing,” she said with a trace of smugness.

He barked out a laugh, and repeated it when he realized the sound would startle his brothers. There hadn't been much to laugh about during the last year. “Personally, I think you look perfect.” Eager to see the rest of her, he directed his hands to the waistband of her sweat pants. “I'm going to take these off now.” He suited actions to words, holding his breath to reveal the rest of her body. She wore tiny pink panties, but the lacy confection didn't conceal much. Unable to help himself, he grasped her hips and leaned closer to catalogue her scent. Flowers and warm spices and all things nice. A slight muskiness. He'd expected a perfume with a more sophisticated note, a designer fragrance.

“The verdict?” A note of anxiety had crept into her voice.

“Very nice. Shall we move to my bedroom?”

She nodded. “Let's jump to the hot sex and burn off my nerves. I'm excited but anxious too.” She bit her bottom lip, tugged on it with her teeth as if she was afraid she'd revealed too much.

The honesty in her warmed him through. Maria had never… His brothers had told him she was cheating on him, but he hadn't believed them. Laura didn't seem deceitful or hold secrets close to her ample chest. He huffed out a sound that wasn't far from another laugh. Instead, she blurted thoughts without mental censorship.

“Are you going to say something?”

“I think that's a good idea. Dinner can wait.”

“Wait! What if the power goes out?”

Still some lurking anxiety, he mused. “Sensible wee thing, aren't you?”

“Someone needs to observe the practicalities.” This time her words held a defensive note.

“That wasn't a criticism, sweetheart. I have a generator, and I'll stoke the fire before we head for the bedroom.”

She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.

“Go and climb into my bed to keep warm. It's the room before the spare one. The light switch is inside the door, to the left.”

She turned away.

“Laura.”

“Yes?”

“When you get to the bedroom, take off the rest of your clothes. I want you to ready yourself so I can slide right inside your heat without too many preliminaries. I find my control is teetering.” To his bemusement, it was true. Maria had called him cold, a machine, but he didn't believe the words any longer. He burned for Laura. They both needed a first, wild time to settle teetering nerves.

“Ready myself?”

“Masturbate.” The quick surge of pink to her cheeks charmed him. “Can you do that?”

Her chin lifted, and she met his gaze without fear. “I can do that.”

“But don't get yourself off. We'll do that bit together. I sleep on the right side of the bed.”

Laura's heart thudded against the wall of her chest like a panicked sparrow trying to escape an enclosed space. Ready herself for him. It wasn't as if she hadn't masturbated before, but it was a secret thing, something she did for herself and herself alone.

Somehow, she managed to stumble to Dallas's bedroom, her minding spinning with thoughts of Dallas, the things they'd do together.

Hot sex. Nasty sex. Bossy sex.

He intended to order her around when she fought so hard for her freedom every day. If she refused, she might lose her chance to enjoy the focus of that Dallas O'Grady charm.

A low-level hum still simmered in her abdomen, but the pinball game of pinging nerves ceased.

She flicked on the light and studied the queen-size bed, its autumn-colored quilt, the dark furniture and the large windows. Aware of a ticking clock, she drew the curtains, closing out the night. She turned on a bedside lamp and switched off the main light, liking the subdued, more intimate shadows better.

Then, she sucked in a huge breath and stripped off her panties and top. The bed was cold as she slid between the sheets, yet she could practically hear the sizzle of her skin, her excitement heating her through.

It wouldn't take much to get herself off. She and Dallas had flirted from the moment they'd met this afternoon. Heck, she plain liked him. Sex on a stick, and she wanted to lick every inch of him—if that was what bossy Dallas requested.

Lazily, she stroked one full breast, tugged on her nipple and gasped at the bungee of pleasure that stormed her pussy. She traced slow circles around her navel, and again surges of pleasure spread outward, darting lower to frisk her clit.

“Does that feel good?”

Her eyes shot open, her tiny
eep
of shock scarcely more than a rush of breath. “I didn't hear you come in.”

“Dallas,” he reminded her.

“I know your name.”

“Reality check. Just wanted to emphasize you're in the enemy's bed. You didn't answer my question, sweetheart.”

“I'm right where I want to be,” Laura said, giving her words a crisp bite. For long seconds, she stared at him—a visual challenge. Eventually, he nodded and tension dispersed from her shoulders. “And I'm feeling pretty happy. Each time I touch myself, the sensations ricochet through me.”