Page 60 of Hold On Me

“I know if I were to fall in love, get married and settle down with someone like you, it would be yet another failure in his eyes. But that’s not even the worst thing. I’m scared. Scared I’ll end up just like him—bitter, twisted, alone—if a relationship with you falls apart.”

My heart’s beating so fast I’m sure he can feel it, but I don’t care. He’s just laid himself wide open for me. It’s what I’ve needed. To know what was holding him back.

“Is that what you want? A relationship with me?” My voice is a whisper, but he hears it, because his breath hitches slightly.

“Penelope…”

“Answer my question.” His fingers dig into my flesh strong enough to leave bruises, and the idea sends a shiver through my body. I want this. The big powerful businessman wantingme so desperately he leaves himself open for me. It gives me the confidence to do the same for him. Makes my fears and insecurities fade away.

“You want to know what I want?”

He looks up to me and I nod.

“Fuck.”

He groans and lowers his head until it’s resting on my stomach. The urge to card my fingers through his thick dark hair is too strong to ignore as my hands cradle his head.

“I wantyou, Little One. I want everything with you. The full gig. I want what the Bradys have. You and me, a team. And it terrifies me.”

His confession gives me confidence and I tug on the back of his hair, encouraging him to look at me. His eyes darken, the vulnerability replaced with an intensity I thought only existed in romance novels.

“Stand up, Ben.” The sharp inhale of his breath is the only noise in the room as he stands to his full height. Without my heels I’m a lot shorter than him and I lean back a little to be able to see him. “I want that, too. It’s scary thinking about the future, and something I want to explore, but tell me what you want right now.”

“Right now? I want you on your knees, sucking my cock. I want you sprawled out on the dining table, the bed, the shower, I want you and I can’t breathe properly without thinking about you.”

His eyes are focused solely on my own as I drop to my knees. The bulge in his trousers surges forward and I lick my lips in anticipation. His hand wraps around the back of my neck, his fingers swooping into my hair.

“You’re such a good girl, Little One.” His words wash over me like a wave crashing to the shore. “You like that? You like being my good girl?”

I nod as he strokes my cheek and hums in approval. “Stand up.”

Confusion filters through the lust, and I do as he says, but I narrow my eyes and frown.

“I want to fuck your mouth, Little One. But not here. I have a particular fantasy I haven’t been able to get out of my head. Come with me.” He laces our fingers together and leads me through the suite, into the master en suite, and stops outside the shower.

“You said I had to get dirty before I got clean.”

“I intend to make you very dirty, Little One. Now strip.”

A thrill runs through me, and with no hesitation I pull the hem of my dress up and whip it off my body. His eyes eat up the dark green lace lingerie, and I’m so thankful I grabbed them and decided to wear them after my earlier shower. He drags his eyes over my body and a surge of power flows through me.

He wants me. He likes what he sees. And he may think he’s in charge, but with the way he’s looking at me, I know I’m the one who has all the power. Knowing this, I reach around my back and unhook my bra, letting it fall off my shoulders and drop to the floor.

“Fuck,” he groans as he starts to unbutton his shirt, his eyes never leaving my breasts. “You’re fucking gorgeous.”

His praise fills me with confidence, and I hook my thumbs into the sides of my panties, lowering them slowly and kicking them off my ankles, leaving me standing before him completely bare.

“Vasilissa mou.”

I don’t know what he said, but the words dancing on his lips, the husky tone of his voice laced with need, sends a gush of arousal to my exposed pussy. I clench my thighs together to try to stem it, but it does nothing.

“Don’t try to hide your arousal from me, Penelope. I need to know what you like, what you want, it makes everything better for both of us.” He stands in front of me, his fingers ghosting over the outside of my thigh. “You like hearing me speak Greek to you?”

As the whispered wordyesdrips from my lips, he dips his head and presses his lips against mine, soft and gentle. I want more, but before I can press myself to him and take the kiss to another level, he steps away and strips his shirt off.

“Get in the shower, Little One.”

I can’t take my eyes off him. He looks like he’s sculpted out of marble, hard but beautiful. I take in every divet of his muscles and golden skin, committing them to memory.

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