Page 15 of Untether

Boy, this guy is good, and my body is responding. We’re in a busy bar, but the timbre of his voice makes it feel like we’re in bed. ‘Because,’ he continues, tilting his head so his lips are drawing closer to my ear, ‘I’m so fucking in it’s not funny. I was like a schoolboy when Gen mentioned your name. I’ve always had a thing for you. You are sexy as fuck, and you’re even sexier sitting here, next to me.’

I give a little laugh. He’s sweet. I appreciate his reassurance, and I want to believe him. But I still think a guy like him should be out with some young yoga-teacher-slash-influencer so they can be all smooth-skinned and limber and sex-positive together.

He sighs against my ear, his breath warm on the side of my neck. ‘Okay. I can tell you don’t believe me. I didn’t want to corrupt you yet, but here. Get a load of this.’

Before I can register what he’s doing, he’s tugging my hand under the starched white tablecloth and putting it on—

Oh my fucking God.

My hand’s on his dick.

And it’s hard and fuckinghuge.

Jesus Christ.

My heart rate goes through the roof, and I start laughingfor real—nervous, disbelieving laughter. ‘Fuck,’ I say, my fingers flexing around it of their own accord. Holy. Fucking. Shit.

He pulls back so I can see his smirk. ‘Yeah. Fuck. You’ve done that. That’s all for you, sweetheart, and you can have as much of it as you want, whenever you want.’

My eyes must look like saucers. I’m not easily surprised, but I’m, to use one of my favourite British expressions, gobsmacked.

Shit just got real.

10

CAL

‘I’m holding back here,’ I promise her as I take pity on her and reluctantly guide her hand off my dick and onto my thigh, where I keep it pressed under my palm. ‘I promise. Give me the nod and I’ll be unleashed. But it’s got to be what you want. This attraction has to run both ways. There are a million guys at Alchemy who’d love to give you every inch of what you need, so if you want a full audition, let’s go. I’ll line them up for you.’

I pause to let her catch her breath, because this is a lot. I’m a lot, especially for a woman who’s been with one guy for years and years. A woman who’s feeling disconnected, through no fault of her own, with her sexuality and her power.

I meant what I said. The most important thing is that Aida finds someone she’s attracted to, as well as someone she trusts. She’s skittish as hell, but I’d put money on her being into me. That’s not arrogance—that’s me priding myself on having a pretty good read on women.

She’s stunning. Not just stunning, but sexy, with those mesmerising eyes and that plump red mouth. And, thankfuck, her ex hasn’t fully destroyed her confidence, because she’s still Aida Fucking Russell and she’s still got the star quality, the gravitas, that made her famous and that keeps people coming back for more.

I wait.

‘You’re—I find you very attractive,’ she says now. Her tone is stiff, haughty even, like she’s trying to impart her views of me in a businesslike way.

Like she’s trying to hold herself together after I basically made her touch my dick.

She gives a nervous little laugh. ‘Believe me, my attraction to you is not a problem. You’re hot—totally gorgeous.’ She waves the hand not pinned to my thigh in my general direction.

‘I’m glad it’s not one-sided,’ I tell her. And I am. Really fucking glad. That would have been gutting, handing her off to someone better suited to the job.

I can tell you right now, no one is better suited to the job of transforming this spectacular woman into a whimpering, blissed-out, well-fucked, post-orgasmic puddle.

No one.

What she can’t possibly know is quite how honest my confession just now was.

I’m holding back here.

Because I know exactly what she wants from me. I know what Gen wants from me, too. Believe me, I understand the assignment. The service that’s required of me will be adirty-liteone, if you like.

You know. Dirty, but not too depraved. Rough, but not too rough. Dark, but not too dark.

A littlegood girlhere.

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