Page 18 of She Devil
Ah, hell. I think I’m in serious trouble here.
Jamie
I’m aware of my fingers twitching by my sides as I descend the stairs and stroll towards the kitchen to begin cooking the evening meal.
Fuck, that was hard.
It had taken all my willpower to ignore the insane eroticism of the moment, as well as the lingering sense of loss I was still feeling, and bring our focus back to practicalities. She was so temptinglythere, with her wide, defiant eyes and her damp, kissable mouth. I wantedso fucking muchto avenge my younger self’s misery by taking her the way I’ve been dreaming about since that aborted fuck a few weeks ago. But I know it wouldn’t have worked like that. She’s not ready to give me what I’m looking for yet. I want her to want it—need it—to happen so badly she begs me for it. Only then will I feel that I’ve redressed the balance between us.
So more pleasure-delaying it is. For now.
I made the deliberate decision to give my housekeeper and chef the next couple of days off so April and I can be alone together. I want to gain her trust by cooking for her myself, reminding her there’s more to me than she’s come to believe. I actually really enjoy cooking for people. I taught myself how to do it a few years ago and I find it a soothing activity. I think I’m pretty good at it too. My meals are something else about which I never get complaints from the women I entertain.
My blood spikes with adrenaline as I remember her disdainful expression when she’d thrown that barb at me about not being capable of making her come. I’m glad I’m getting the opportunity to put that fallacy to bed, even though I consider it an added extra compared to my real reason for getting her to stay here with me.
I can tell she’s still very much on her guard, which isn’t surprising, considering my rather unusual demand. Not that it seems to have fazed her at all. As I suspected, she’s willing to do anything in order to get what she wants for her family’s business. To further her career. She’s that mercenary. Though I guess I’ve no room to talk at the moment, considering the way I’m acting.
But it’s a means to an end. An opportunity to put everything right and move on. To get a major source of hurt and stress out of my life.
Thisthingbetween us has followed me around for too many years now, like an abused but loyal dog, and I’m coming to recognise how unhealthy it is. It’s coloured every single relationship with a woman I’ve had, in one way or another. I think subconsciously I’ve compared them to her and they’ve all come up wanting. Not that I can put my finger on why, exactly. She’s not that special. But, despite my continued attempts to forget what happened between us, I’ve never been able to put it to rest and move on.
But now it’s time to do exactly that.
CHAPTER FIVE
April
THECLOTHESHE’Spicked out for me are surprisingly demure.
When I pull back the wardrobe door I expect to see a selection of clingy, provocative outfits to pull me further out of my comfort zone, so fingering through the beautifully cut, classy designer garments gives me both a thrill of pleasure and relief.
While I hate the idea of him dressing me, I can’t help but feel grudging approval at his good taste.
Not that I should allow that to affect my opinion of him. I’ve always known he’s one step above most men I’ve ever met, but he’s also self-obsessed and wily, and I need to keep my guard up around him at all times. Even though I know he’s taking great pleasure in ‘teaching me a lesson’, I can’t help but wonder whether there’s more to his demand that I stay on his island, cut off from outside communication. I’ll need to stay vigilant, just in case he’s trying to sneak something past me while I’m here. I wouldn’t put it past him.
I’ve experienced too much betrayal and disappointment in my life not to be paranoid at every turn.
After taking a refreshing shower in the aquamarine-tileden suitebathroom, I use the powerful showerhead between my legs to try and relieve some of the sexual tension that’s been plaguing me for the last hour, but to my frustration I can’t quite get there. Something’s stopping me from reaching that peak and I get out of the water with the craving for release still clawing through me.
Once I’ve dried my sensitised skin I select a simple but elegant silky-feeling slip dress in royal purple. As promised, it’s in my size, and when I slip it over my head and do up the zip at the back it fits perfectly. Like a second skin.
I dry my shoulder-length hair, which takes longer than usual in the humid heat of the Greek evening, then twist it into a neat bun and pin it up, leaving my neck exposed. It feels good to have the cool air from the open window breeze across it.
Okay, I’m ready.
Body humming with nervous energy for the battle of wills I’m sure I’m about to face this evening, I make my way down the stairs to find Jamie.
My taste buds tingle as I make my way deeper into the house to where I imagine the kitchen to be. There’s a delicious smell wafting from that direction and it lures me towards it like human catnip.
But when I step inside the large, lived-in-looking room, with its terracotta-tiled floor and whitewashed walls, it’s free of human presence. The oven is on, with a couple of dishes on the shelves inside, and there are plates laid out ready to be filled. Cooking is still in progress, it seems.
So I go in search of Jamie, not wanting him to find me dithering about in there, looking out of place and uncomfortable.
There’s a warm glow coming from a room opposite the library and I stroll towards it, hyper-aware of the kitten heels of my shoes clicking on the polished tile floor. I walk into a large, simply decorated sitting room and look around. Nothing in this house is for show, it all has a useful purpose, though I’m sure it’s all top-quality merchandise. On the other side of the room there are bi-fold doors pushed wide open, giving a stunning view out across the sea. A warm breeze plays over my skin as I make my way towards them and I see there’s a terrace out there with a large dining table and chairs set out on it. The sun is beginning to set in the distance and there are lanterns hanging from two posts that are holding up a canopy of sweet-smelling grapevines heavy with their purple fruit. The flames from the lanterns flicker gently in the breeze as I move towards them and I experience a sudden uplift in my mood. It feels good to be out of the city, I realise, breathing the fresh sea air deep into my lungs.
‘Come and join me,’ Jamie says as I walk further onto the terrace. He’s lounging in one of the cedar-wood dining chairs with a glass of what looks like gin and tonic in his hand, watching the sun setting in the distance.
‘Thank you,’ I say stiffly. I take a seat opposite him, then turn to look out to sea too.
