Eraser Blue (4 page)

“Did you like your flowers?”

“Yes… Sir… thank you,” she answered a little unsurely, feeling like she was drowning in the opulent surroundings and still not sure how to address the man.  She was thrown off too, by how much her body pulsated just being near him and hearing his voice again.  It was disarming.

“Good.”  He loved the way she said Sir and decided, then and there, not to put a stop to that.  There was no need for her to address him as anything else.

He looked at her quizzically.  He made her feel like she was being scrutinized, like she was under examination.  He made her feel uneasy with just that look alone.  She felt so weak, her feelings flitting from desire to unease and back again, with only a look or a word.  He held too much power over her.  It scared her.

When Simon collected her from her apartment she had expected to be driven to a restaurant, not a private residence.  The view of the monstrosity as they pulled in the long drive had instantly put her on edge.  She didn’t belong in such a place.  It was not the residence he had taken her to before.  That had been a sky-rise building in the city.  This was far more decadent. 
Was this his home?  Or was the apartment?
She couldn’t look at the man in front of her, she felt her composure slipping.

Mackenzie took in the huge dining room.  It had the highest ceilings she had ever seen and it made her feel small.  The walls were painted a warm cream and the dark wood furniture reminded her of the bar where she worked.  It was classy and sophisticated.  The expensive antique furniture that filled the room, and the heavy golden hued drapes that adorned the large windows, all added appeal.  But it was the gigantic displays of white roses, jip and ivy, and the forty or so candles dotting the
room, which made it feel like something from a fairy tale.  The white linen table cloth, the polished silverware, and the way the candlelight was reflected in the crystal glasses on the table, all adding to the opulence.  It was overwhelming.

His eyes were on her, she could feel them, and eventually hers made their way back to him.  He was beyond gorgeous - he was dark and dangerous.  She could feel the sexual pull from across the table.  The situation she was in was not one she had been in before - and she still didn’t even know his name.  He had told her previously she was only entitled to one night and now she was in front of him, here, with all of this.  What did he expect of her?  He’d come back and …
now?  Who is this man?

“What is your name?” she asked.

“What do you think it is?”

She gave him a pointed look and waited while he had a sip of water.  He removed the glass from his lips for only a moment before drinking more. 

“Please just tell me.”

“Why are names so important?  They’re just labels.  Ask another question.”

She glanced around the room of what she guessed was his home.  “Why here?” she asked.  He didn’t answer.  The more his eyes penetrated her the more uncomfortable she felt.  She waited a moment but only got a smirk from him.  The silence added to her unease, causing her to throw another question his way.  “Why me?”

“Why not?”

“You’re enjoying this.”  Mackenzie shifted in her seat.

“Enjoying what?”  His lips curled up a notch.

“Making me uncomfortable.”

“Are you uncomfortable?  Would you like another chair, perhaps?”

She couldn’t help smiling at his joke.  “You know very well that’s not what I meant.”

He stared at her a moment, before responding, “Yes.”

His answer was too vague for Mackenzie. 
Yes, he knows what I meant?  Or yes, he’s enjoying making me uncomfortable?  Probably both.

“Dinner is served,” he said, a moment before the door burst open and two women came in holding trays.

How did he do that?

Mackenzie watched the women in silence as they set down bowls of soup, before leaving the room.

“Wine?” he asked, lifting a bottle from the ice bucket beside the table.  He filled her glass before she answered.  He passed it to her and she gratefully took it.

Alcohol.  Exactly what I need.
  She took a gulp of the cold liquid and let out a small ah, before placing it back on the table.

“Eat,” he said, motioning to the bowl in front of her.

He waited until she collected her spoon before picking up his own.  She gingerly placed a spoonful in her mouth and moaned in appreciation when the soup touched her tongue – potato and leek, she assumed.  He watched her closely.  She picked up her napkin, wiping her mouth.

“Sorry.”

“For?  I’ve seen you naked and done things to your body that, I’m guessing, not too many men have had the pleasure of, so please, don’t be coy with me.  If it feels good, by all means
moan
.”

With just those few words, Mackenzie’s mood was altered, again.  The frustration was now coupled with desire as it coursed through her body.  His eyes twinkled with amusement.

“Exactly.  You’ve done things to me that no one else has and I don’t even know your name!  Who
are
you?” she asked again, this time through a filter of frustration.

“I’m whoever you want me to be.”  The stern look on his face annoyed her further.

“Seriously?  You aren’t going to tell me?”

“It’s only a name.  It has no bearing on who I am.  I can be-”

“It’s a simple question,” she interrupted, her aggravation reaching new heights.  “The answer should be simple too.”

“I assure you, there is nothing simple about me.”  He smirked.

“Well, that much is obvious!”

She watched him return to his soup.  After a couple of mouthfuls he looked up at her with a devilish smile. 
What an arrogant ass!  This is ridiculous – he won’t even tell me his name?

“You know what?  Screw this!  You sent for me and I came, didn’t I?  Doesn’t that afford me some basic courtesies?”  He stared back at her with zero expression and it infuriated her.  “I didn’t come here to play games with you.”  She groaned and threw her napkin down on the table beside her bowl. 
Maybe Alex was right to tell me to stay away from him.
  She pushed her chair back and stood.  Her stomach churned at the thought of actually leaving, so she was relieved when he spoke again.

“
Mackenzie
,” he warned and she froze.  He stood from his chair too.  “Please sit back down,” he said sternly.  The authority in his voice did something she remembered from Friday night – it aroused her. 

She hesitated for only a moment, before placing her bottom back on the chair.  He took his time getting comfortable.  The fire in her eyes when she glared at him only made him feel victorious.  He chuckled. 
She is going to be so much fun!

“I thought you liked my games,” he said, picking up his spoon again.

He looked as sexy as sin with the smug look on his face.  Memories of ‘his games’ last Friday night came to mind. 
Yes, I like his games… Gah!  He is as infuriating as all hell!
  She pinned him with her stare, waiting for him to respond with his name.

“Okay, I’m sorry…”  He looked at her, a sly smile reappearing on his face, before adding,
“Please call me Sir.”

The corners of her mouth involuntarily rose. 
How does he do that? One look and my guard comes crashing down.
  He made her head spin for so many reasons.  As annoying as he was, when he looked at her it sent pleasure through her body.  Every. Damn. Time.  She decided to rise above her annoyance and moved the conversation forward.  He wouldn’t be the victor here. 
A name is just a label after all.  I can move on.

In an attempt to let go
of her frustration, she asked, “What do you do?” 

He licked his lips thoughtfully, his eyes focused on hers.  They were voluptuous lips, with a shiny red gloss on them.  He couldn’t wait until she wrapped those around him.  He envisioned her on her knees, in that dress, lavishing his cock with that mouth.  He decided then – that was what she would do first tonight, right here at the table.  He refocused on her ostentatious green eyes.  They really were the most amazing things he had ever seen – too la
rge for her face, flawless coloring, the dark, long lashes framing them – just impeccable.  Exquisite jewels.

“I’m a business man,” he answered vaguely, knowing that it would piss her off.  He loved to see her riled, it was too easy.

“What kind of business man?” she asked, before sliding the soup filled spoon into her mouth, extra slow.  She batted those lush lashes at him.

Is she deliberately teasing me? 
She licked her lips slowly and he saw the glint in her eye.
  Oh yes, she is.  She’ll pay for that. 
He took a slow sip of wine as he watched her.

“I see you’ve lost your apprehension.  That’s good.  There’s no room for shyness tonight.”  He loved her shocked face.

Mackenzie didn’t know how to respond to his comment.  She had been trying to get a reaction from him, by flirting, but he never responded quite how she expected.  He always one-upped her in some way.  She was still trying to come up with something when he spoke next.

“Tell me about yourself.”

“What would you like to know?” she asked.

“Everything.”  He shrugged his shoulders casually, continuing to eat his soup, as if it was the most logical answer in the world.

“Everything?” she asked and he nodded.  “Well, I work at The Blue Room but you already know that.  I live in an apartment on West Adams, you know that too.  I’ve lived there for about two years.”

“You live alone,” he stated factually.

“Yes, I like being on my own.”  She shrugged.  “I prefer it.”

He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, before returning his attention to the bowl in front of him.  He already knew that she was on her own.  He’d made sure of that months ago, when he’d first spotted her, and had been keeping a close watch over her ever since.  But the notion that she
preferred
it that way surprised him.  She rarely seemed to have male company and he had to wonder what she did for fun.  He could barely go a few days without sexual release but she seemed content enough.  Also, as she preferred her solitude, it made him wonder what kind of fight she may put up when he told her what he wanted.  Not that he was completely opposed to a fight, of course.

“You prefer to be alone?” he asked and she nodded in response.

With his head down, he looked up at her through dark lashes, his almost black eyes made her breath hitch.  She wriggled slightly in her seat when her internal muscles clenched in anticipation of what may come later in the evening.  The power he held was overwhelming her again. 
Pull yourself together!
  She chastised herself and returned her attention to the soup just to distract herself from his eyes.

He could tell he was affecting her.  He sensed she was beginning to understand.  Her body language was deceiving her.  She was uncomfortable with the conversation, yes, but there was no mistaking the beauty sitting opposite him was as turned on as he was.  He needed to push her boundaries more, get her to open up.  Test her.

“Do you pleasure yourself often?” he asked.

She was glad she’d swallowed her mouthful, before those words were thrown at h
er, or she would have surely spit soup all over the table.  As it was she was choking on air.

“
Excuse me?
” she asked, red-faced, thinking back to last night’s adventure with gloved hands and a butterfly vibrator.  And the fantasy where he was the star.

“You heard me, Mackenzie.”  His reply was calm and calculated.

“Yes, I did.”  She paused for a moment.  “I cannot believe you just asked me that!”

“There are no boundaries I won’t cross.  It will serve you well to remember that.  Now, answer the question.”  His expression was serious, but there was a hint of mischief on his lips and in his eyes.

Mackenzie sipped her wine, biding her time to think of a comeback. 
It is kind of refreshing to find someone so straightforward, I suppose.
  Placing the glass back on the table, she leaned forward.

“How much is ‘often’?  I mean, could you please clarify?”  She smirked at him and he returned the smile.  His was genuine, he was amused.  That made Mackenzie happier than it probably should.

“I’d say seven times a week would be often.”  He spoke seriously, as if the topic was not about masturbation but something more conservative.  “Though with a body like yours, I’m thinking once a day wouldn’t be enough for me.”  He winked.

Mackenzie’s face heated again with his words, but before she could even comprehend that statement, he continued and threw her for a loop again.

“I want an answer, and please be honest.  Honesty is the most important thing in any relationship.”

Relationship?
  Mackenzie’s head was spinning with the turn in conversation.  From masturbation to relationships, this guy was unlike anyone she had ever met. 
And just what kind of relationship is he expecting with me?

“Mackenzie?” he prompted.

I love when he says my name.  Oh, um, answer, yes…
She blinked.  “Maybe two or three times a week,” she stammered a lie, thinking to herself how much more she had done it since last Friday.  She shook her head. 
Why did I answer him at all?

“Really?” he asked with genuine surprise.  Images of her with a hand between her legs, moaning in ecstasy, flooded his mind and he fought the urge to adjust himself.  “Is that all?”  She nodded.  “Maybe you’re not doing it right.”  He chuckled and watched her face flush again.

Hilda and Jasmin came in then, halting their conversation.  They professionally swept away the soup bowls and replaced them with main meals, before leaving through the double doors.  He caught Mackenzie eyeing the food warily.

“Problem?” he asked.

“No.  I’m just surprised, that’s all.  First a soup and now roast with vegetables.  It’s just not what I expected.”

“Disappointed?”

“I’m not disappointed in the slightest.  I guess, I just-”

“You guess?  No guessing, just tell me what you expected.”  If there was one thing he hated it was wishy, washy answers.  He always spoke with directness, and he expected it from those around him too.

“I
expected
a-la-carte dining considering our decadent surroundings,” Mackenzie said, succinctly and with a smile. 

“Aha, the usual presumptions.  I’m wealthy but I still enjoy simple things.  Often it is those that give you the greatest pleasure.”  He smiled back.

“Oh… is that right?”  She blushed, collecting her knife and fork.

“What else did you presume about me?”

She finished her mouthful of roast beef before answering.  “I presumed that you were taking me to dinner at a restaurant in the city.”  He nodded his head while he chewed.  “I also presumed that the apartment we were at last Friday was your home.  I never imagined a place like this.”

“I have two properties, the penthouse apartment and this mansion.  I prefer to spend my Saturday nights here.”

“Just Saturday nights?  Seems like an awfully big property to upkeep for just one night a week.”

“True.  But for now, due to the majority of my time spent in the city for work, the apartment serves its purpose.”

“And exactly what is
my
purpose here, Sir?” she asked with a seductive smile.

His only answer was a raised eyebrow and a meaningful look.  Then he gave her
that
smile, his best one, the one that reverberated through her entire body, all the way to her core.  The one that made her blush and feel so completely aroused.  Sir chuckled and Mackenzie fought the urge to giggle.  They ate in silence for a moment, occasional flirty glances aimed at one another.  After seeing that devilish smile, Mackenzie couldn’t help but wonder what would come after they ate.

He couldn’t think of anything but.  He was imagining her seated on the ground with her legs folded beneath her.  Her arms pulled tight behind her back, knotted with rope above her ass.  Her head tilted upwards, gasps of pleasure escaping her lips, while he flogged her.  He was getting hard just imagining the wide-eyed look on her face and her parted lips.  He adjusted his trousers, took a sip of wine and tried to remind himself to act the gentleman for a little while longer.

“What is your family like?” he asked, trying for a more mundane topic.  Though he already knew she was an only child of divorced parents - he’d done his research.

“They’re ordinary people.  Divorced.  We get along, but I’m not close with either of them.”  She spoke with little, to no emotion, making him realize it was just as he expected.  He was glad that his suspicions had been confirmed, it meant that no one
would be standing in his way – the girl really was alone in the world.

“No siblings?” he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

“No.”

It was a shame, such a rare and intelligent beauty was not surrounded by love.  He already knew of her comings and goings.  He knew that she had a girlfriend in the building where she lived, and that she got along with a couple of the employees at her work, but he also knew there wasn’t anybody else that was a permanent fixture in her life.  He was going to change that.  She was a rare gem an
d he would see to it that she got treated like one.

“What about you…?” she trailed off, hoping he would fill in the blank by finally giving her his name.

“Please, call me Sir,” he said instead, with a painfully smug look on his face. 

Mackenzie smiled through gritted teeth.  He stared her down, his dark, intense eyes boring into her – he was dead serious.  He had no intention of revealing his name.  She was tempted to argue with him, tell him he was being ridiculous and demand to know it –
if he thinks he can expect me to keep coming back for more, without ever telling me his name, he’s deluded. 
But there was something about the demand in his voice that sent a rush of adrenalin through her body.  So, for the time being, she let it go.

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Sir?
”  She watched his eyes light up, a flicker of victory behind them.  She was giving him want he wanted and that pleased her in a way she didn’t expect.

“One brother.”

“Close family?”

“Yes, we are.  My parents are living in London right now though, and my brother Tom is in Japan on business.”

Mackenzie sighed. 
Letting it go is harder than I thought – what is his name? 
Deciding to skip the small talk and get directly to the point, Mackenzie placed her knife beside her fork, pushed her plate away marginally before taking a deep breath and speaking.  “You seem like a no nonsense type of man,
Sir
, so I’m going to be straight with you and I would like you to return the favor.”

“Of course.”  He mimicked her movements, pushing his plate away too, giving her his full attention.

“I’m not sure why I’m here.  Why won’t you tell me your name?  What is it you want from me?  You made it perfectly clear last week that it was a one-time offer.”  She had to lay her cards on the table.  She needed to know where she stood. 

He smiled at her frankness. 
She’s perfect. 
“You are here because I want you to be.”  He internally ticked off her questions.  “Because I don’t want to.  What I want from you… is you.    And… I changed my mind.”  The last one was a lie, he knew before last week that once wouldn’t be enough with her.

“I don’t feel any wiser,” she said softly, after a moment of letting his words wash over her.

“I answered your questions exactly as they were asked.”  He smirked at her.

“Well… yes you did, but…”

“I want what we had last Friday night.”

Mackenzie’s body hummed with the memories. 
Yes, I want that too...

“Will you give me tonight?”

“You mean, you are actually asking me?  Not telling me?” she asked cheekily.

“I don’t have a problem in telling you, if you’d prefer it.”

He liked this playful side of her.  He gave her a warm smile, before going in for the kill.

“To be honest, Mackenzie…”  His tone and candidness made Mackenzie sit up straighter, “I
will
keep you here regardless,” but his words stole her breath.  “I am making a compromise here.  Will you accept?”

“Accept?” Mackenzie repeated in a whisper.

Keep me here regardless?
  She should be frightened, she knew, he was implying he would keep her against her will, but…
what will?
  Her will to leave was long gone. 
Keep me here, how?
Mackenzie wondered if he meant that he would restrain her.  A bolt of pleasure went from her chest to between her legs at the thought of being tied up again, by Sir.  He was being an overbearing ass and she was getting turned on. 
What the hell?

“Just what compromise do you think you are making?  It seems to me, you are doing no such thing.”

“My compromise is that I’m giving you the chance to say yes.  Admit it, you like the idea of me restraining you though.  I can sense it.”  She remained silent, so he pushed on.  “Mackenzie, you wanted frankness, so I’m giving it to you.  I’m asking you to stay tonight and we’ll take it from there.”

Take it from there?
  Mackenzie’s mind was still reeling.

“Do I have your permission to keep you here the night?”

“No,” Mackenzie replied automatically, before she decided to listen to her body instead of her head.  “Why?  Why do you want…?” her voice trailed off.  She took a large gulp of her wine. 
This is all too much.