Held Captive By Love (2 page)

When the sun burst through the solitary window in the studio, Jenna woke up.  There were white, gauzy curtains hanging above the panes, but she'd forgotten to draw them the night before.  She'd also forgotten to brush her teeth, or change into her pajamas.  She'd been too distracted by the noises from above.  After masturbating a second time, she'd fallen into a deep sleep that had been full of dreams of sex with random strangers- men and women alike.

  Rubbing her face, she rolled out of bed.  At least, there weren't any noises in the mornings.  She wouldn't know what to do if there were. 

  She needed a shower.  Bad.  And then she needed to go grocery shopping.  The only things in her fridge were butter, a half-eaten cucumber, and some leftover fried rice from when she'd gotten take-out a few days before. 

  Quickly, she rinsed off and put on a skinny pair of jeans and a gray tank top.  Her hair was still slightly wet; she left it down to air dry.  After slipping on her pair of purple converses, she was ready to go.  Placing her hand on the door, though, she stopped.  Makeup.  She hardly ever went anywhere without at least putting on some mascara and tinted moisturizer.  And maybe now that she was in New York she should start prioritizing looking good even more.  Who knew when someone might recognize her from her vlog?

  Then again, she was just running down to the corner bodega, and it was highly unlikely that any of the sixty-plus men that hung out there night and day were avid followers of beauty blogs.  Laughing at herself, she unlocked the chain and let herself out.

  It was a beautiful morning, and Jenna took her time walking back.  She finally understood why New York had inspired so many songs, movies, and books.  The whole island seemed to be throbbing with the life energy of the world.  It was a place where anything seemed possible.  You could feel that with each step on the pavement. 

  There was a slight crispness to the air, and although September had barely started, Jenna could almost taste fall hiding right around the corner. 

  Mr. Thompson was sitting in his usual spot on the stoop, talking to another old guy, who was wearing a newsboy cap and nodding his head a lot.  Jenna gave Mr. Thompson a wave, then hurried to the heavy front door.  It was good to see her neighbor had found someone to talk to.  The most difficult thing about getting into her apartment wasn't finding the right keys, climbing the stairs, or waiting for the elevator that could often take eons to arrive.  It was evading Mr. Thompson's run-on conversations.

  Balancing one of the two paper bags on her knee, she unlocked the door and slipped inside.  Just as the door banged closed behind her, the elevator door screeched open.  Awesome.  She wouldn't have to wait for it.  This was already turning out to be a great day.

  And when the figure inside the elevator stepped out and into the foyer the day became even better.

  He was just shy of six feet, with bronze skin and dark, wavy hair.  His chocolate eyes stared straight at Jenna as her legs started to quaking.  He was wearing dress pants and a white button-up shirt and was carrying a suit jacket over his shoulder.  On the other hand was a briefcase.  Even though he was covered in clothes, Jenna could tell the man was ripped. 

  Still looking at her, his mouth parted slightly, and his tongue slipped out to wet his lips.

  And Jenna's arms lost all muscle control as her groceries went crashing to the floor. 

  The woman stared at Fernando as one of the bags tipped over and a can rolled out.  Behind him, the elevator door slid to a close, but he couldn't move.  He couldn't remember how to take even a single step.  All he could do was look at the beautiful creature in front of him.  Her golden hair, which was coming out of a messy and slightly damp bun.  Her green-blue eyes, which held pupils that were shrinking and dilating with increasing speed.  And her body...

  And internal groan ripped through Fernando.  Jesus, her body.  Her curves were on full display beneath the tight jeans and tank top she wore.  Her nipples pressed hard against the thin material of her top, and Fernando bit his lip.  One thing was for sure: this woman was turned on by the mere sight of him.

  So they had something in common.

  “Let me help you,” He said, finally managing to get his mouth working.  It wasn't the only part of his body working, though.  His cock was quickly growing hard, and his heart seemed to be running a race with itself. 

  She nodded silently, still not moving.  Fernando tried not to smile in amusement as he stepped forward.  He often had such an effect on women- he had since he was young.  The unusual thing here was how attracted he was to her.  Sure, he could appreciate a woman's beauty.  It had been a long, long time though since a girl had made him get so instantly turned on.

  Bending, he picked up the can at the same time as she went for the bag.  As they simultaneously stood their arms brushed against each other...  And the light headedness hit him like a freight train.  Electricity sparked where her skin had touched his and traveled through his entire body.

  “Thanks,” She whispered.  Her voice was light and cool.  Listening to it was like bathing in a freshwater spring.

  He nodded.  He was late for work.  He had to go.  Not only that, but the interaction was starting to worry him.  He wasn't used to not being in control when it came to women.  Usually, he dictated how things were going to go down.  And as far as emotions went, he liked to keep them as in check as possible. 

  Never lose control.  That was his motto, both in work and in life.

  He had to get out of that building before the girl made him eat his lifelong creed. 

  “You're welcome,” He answered, his voice coming out cracked.  As quickly as he could, he stepped to one side as she stepped to another.  Then, quick as a flash, she was scurrying into the elevator and pounding the buttons like a crazy person.

  The door slid closed, and that was it.

  Except every cell in Fernando's body had just been lit by a raging fire that he'd never even known existed. 

Three days had gone by, and the sex noises from above had completely ceased.  Their absence made Jenna less happy than she would have suspected, though.  Now that she had met Mr. Mysterious Hot Guy From Above, she had the suspicion that the moaning noises had been coming from his apartment.

  The guy could probably make a girl have an orgasm just by kissing her.  There was no way he had trouble getting action.

  As hot as he was, though, his attractiveness also made the situation difficult.  Obviously, he had a woman in his life, and they were screwing like rabbits every night.  As to why they had suddenly stopped...  Maybe his girlfriend was out of town, or maybe they had to take a break before they got too sore to even function.

  One thing was known, though: Jenna knew she was thinking about the topic way too much.  She was starting to become that creepy neighbor- the one who was always peeking at you from behind their cracked front door, or taking note of who was coming in and out of your apartment and when.

  That's why she'd decided to incorporate some extra-curricular activities in her life.  She needed some distractions so that she could stop obsessing.  And so, literally an hour after she'd had the run-in with the God-like man, she'd hopped on the train and registered for dance classes at one of the studios in mid-town.

  On Tuesday, after her second hip-hop class, she returned to the apartment building feeling sweaty and fatigued- but good.  Physical activity was so far proving to be an excellent outlet.  Maybe she could try Speed Dating next.

  She cringed as she thumped up the stairs.  Or maybe not. 

  When she opened the door, she took one step inside, and her foot landed on a small, white envelope.

  Weird.  The mailboxes were all downstairs.  Why hadn't the mailman just put the envelope in her box?

  Bending to pick it up, she saw that the name on it was handwritten.  Except it wasn't her name on the paper.

  Fernando Gomez, 144 West 126th Street.  Apartment 6.

  Well, they'd gotten the apartment number right, anyway, but there was no Fernando in the tiny little studio- at least there wasn't anymore.  Maybe he had lived there before Jeff- the actor who permanently rented the apartment- had moved in. 

  Flipping the envelope over, Jenna saw that the back hadn't been closed properly.  Only the middle part of the seal was sticking.  Suddenly, she was overwhelmed by the temptation to open it.

  No, She quickly told herself.  That's wrong.

  The scent of floral perfume coming from the envelope wasn't helping her resist her temptation to any degree.  Was it a love letter?  Certainly she shouldn't open it.

  Depraved as Jenna had been of romance over the last year, though, the urge to read the words written in the letter was unbearable.  She wanted to swoon; to sigh in pleasure. 

  Maybe she could carefully open the envelope, and then re-stick it, making it look like it had never been opened in the first place.

  And then she'd email Jeff and see if he knew where this Fernando was, and if he could get the letter to him. 

  Slowly, delicately, Jenna slid her finger underneath the flap.  “Yesss,” She grinned to herself when the envelope slid open like butter.  Maybe Jenna should consider a new career as a sleuth. 

  Carefully, she unfolded the letter.  A check fluttered to the floor.  Jenna bent to pick it up, her heart pounding.  Now she felt bad.  It was too late now, though, and so - guilt still coursing through her  -  she peeked at the check.

  It was written for two thousand dollars, and on the line at the bottom, it said 'For a good time.'

  As for the letter itself, it was incredibly brief.

Fernando,

It was a pleasure, as always.  Here is your rate, plus a little bonus.  Email me to set up next time.  Maybe we can try out the ropes.

-K

  Jenna blinked hard, trying to come up with explanations as to what the letter meant.  It was so obvious; this Fernando was a prostitute.  And he'd been running his business in the same apartment Jenna was now living in!

  Had he been using the bed she was now sleeping on?

  “Ew,” She whispered out loud.

  Another moment later, though, and her brain finally did it- it connected one and one...  and one.  The check.  The noises from above.  The sexy as hell man who lived on the next floor.  The letter and the check both fell from her hands.

  The guy who she'd run into by the elevator was a prostitute!  Or something like that.

  And that was why she'd been hearing moaning noises almost every night!

  If that was the case, she had to say something to him about it.  Maybe ask him to please request that his clients try and keep it down.  Or something like that.  She didn't know what else to do, because- honestly- now that she had met the man who was causing the toe-curling noises from above, her sexual appetite was shooting through the roof.

  And Jenna couldn't live that way.  She was turning into a sexual deviant.  The whole issue was going to take over her life if it wasn't gotten under control.  She had her career to focus on.  Videos to make.  Articles to write.  The world of beauty to conquer. 

  She was going to put a stop to this once and for all. 

 
Fernando closed the dishwasher and pressed the start button before going to the counter to make sure he had gotten the whole area wiped down.  He wasn't a perfectionist when it came to a whole lot of things, but cleanliness was an exception.  He kept his kitchen sparkling clean- not that very many people saw it- and the rest of the apartment was the same.  His living room.  The bathroom.  His bedroom.  The second bedroom that he used for entertaining his clientele.

  His clients were usually in and out.  They walked through the living room and into the bedroom, and then exited the same way.  No small talk.  No tour of the apartment.  He certainly never invited them into the kitchen to sear them a filet of mahi-mahi. 

  As he was drying his hands on a towel, a knock sounded at the door.  Fernando froze.  People didn't usually stop by.  He was very clear with all of his clients when it came to the rules around dropping by.  Simply put: don't do it.  As far as friends, he had a few friends from the office, but none of them had ever randomly dropped by either.  In New York people met up at bars or clubs.  They didn't hang out in each other’s apartments. 

  Curiosity was gripping him; he moved across the apartment and opened the door.

  And his heart immediately sped up as his cock stood to attention.  It was her.  The beautiful girl from the foyer.  Ever since their brief interaction he'd been wondering where she lived in the building.  He'd been doing more than wondering.  He'd been thinking about her non-stop.  The thoughts had been so distracting that he'd canceled the rest of his appointments for the week.  From the moment he'd set eyes on the girl he had felt scattered; excited; confused.  It had been impossible to focus on almost anything. 

  And he hadn't liked it.  Not being able to control his thoughts and emotions?  That wasn't the Fernando Gomez he knew himself to be. 

  She blinked her blue-green eyes at him and shifted her weight.  God, she was luscious.  She was slightly slender, but not too thin.  She had just the right amount of weight on her.  Her soft hips were confirmation of that.  And her breasts...  He bit back a groan and tried not to stare at them.  She had the kind of cleavage you could just bury your face in and hope never to re-emerge from.

  He'd never had a client like her, but damn how he wished he had.

  “I got your mail,” She said, the words coming out rough.  She sounded annoyed, and it was adorable.

  “All right,” He answered, deliberately not offering more.  He wanted to drag the conversation out for as long as possible.  

  Brusquely, she held out an envelope.  When he took it from her, he saw that it had already been opened.

  “Do you think you can keep it down?” She asked.  “I work from home, and it's getting hard to concentrate with all the, uh...  sounds coming from up here.”

  She flushed, but squared her shoulders and stared him down.

  Fernando tried not to smile.  What could he say?  He couldn't help it if some of his clients were as loud as they were.  He'd done his best to soundproof the room, but sometimes even the thickest of walls did no good. 

  He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe.  “So you must know that I work from home too.”

  She didn't answer.  She just bit her lip as her cheeks turned even pinker. 

  “It's a side job,” He answered.  “To help cushion my day job.”

  “What's your day job?”

  “I'm a lawyer.”

  She barked out a laugh, and he smiled.  Good.  She could appreciate his sense of humor.

  “I find it hard to believe that you need a part-time job, working as a lawyer,” She said.  “Or as a...” She faltered, and looked down at the ground.

  “A Dom.”

  Her eyes flicked back up to his, and his heart raced like it had been given a shot of adrenaline. 

  “Like a prostitute?” She asked.

  “No,” He answered quickly.  He never had intercourse with his clients- ever.  All he did was the things to them that no other man would do.  He played the games no one else would.  He held them in bondage like no one else would.  And he was the best at it. 

  “I fulfill women's fantasies.”

  The girl's mouth fell open.  Fernando smiled.  God, this was fun. 

  “What do you think of that?” He asked.

  She bit her pink and full lip.  “It's fine as long as you keep it down.”

  He fingered the opened envelope.  Geez, she was pushy.  He liked it, but it also kind of annoyed him at the same time.  Maybe he should push back.

  “I can book you an appointment if you like.  Free of charge.  We can call it a neighbor discount.”

  Her cheeks were now red.  “Don't play games with me.”

  “I'm not.”  And he wasn't.  The desire to touch this woman was so bad that he felt like he was going to explode if he didn't get the chance to have at least one hour with her.

  “I'm not that kind of girl.”

  “No, but you're the kind to open other people's mail.  Tell me, what's that about?”

  She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.  Checkmate.  He had her there.

  “I was concerned...”

  “About what?”

  “Someone slipped it right under my door, so I thought maybe it was urgent.”

  She was lying, and the action- like everything else she did- was simultaneously heartwarming and heat inducing.

  “I'll tell you what,” He said.  “Let's make a deal.”

  “What kind of deal?”

  “You let me give you a test session, and I won't sue you for going through my mail.”

  Her eyes bulged. 

  “It's a federal offense, you know,” Fernando continued. 

  “I- I didn't know,” She stuttered.

  “I find that hard to believe.”

  Anger flashed in her eyes, and he saw the pertinent part of her that he'd already suspected she had.

  “How about,” He said slowly, “We do this.  You just try it out.  At any point, if you want me to stop, I'll stop.  I promise.”

  She gazed at him, her pupils dilating like they had when they'd first met.  She wanted him.  He could tell.  Maybe as much as he wanted her. 

  He held his breath, silently begging for the right answer.

  Finally, it came.

  “All right.”