Beneath This Man(50)

He smiles. 'The only places people are permitted to remove their clothes is in the communal room or one of the private suites. The ground floor, spa and sports facilities are run like any other exclusive resort. I don't run a brothel, Ava. My members pay a lot of money to enjoy everything The Manor provides, not just the privilege to pursue their sexual preference with likeminded people.'

I know I'm blushing, and I could kick myself. 'What's your sexual preference?' I ask quietly. Of all the things I could ask, I ask this? What the hell is wrong with me? I should be picking his brain on cross-type wall hangings and gold grids hanging from the ceiling, or racks of whips and suspended chains from beams.

He grins that roguish grin and pops a chunk of muffin in his mouth, chewing it purposely slowly and watching me as I writher under his potent gaze. 'You.' he states firmly.

'Just me?'

'Just you, Ava.' His tone is husky and determined, and I can't help the small smile tickling the corners of my mouth. He has just cranked up his sexual magnetism tenfold. I could jump him.

'Good.' I take my first real mouthful of my muffin, immensely satisfied by his response. Just me. I like that answer. Do I even care about what goes on at The Manor, as long as Jesse isn't involved? I just have to disregard the fact that he has been. To what extent has he been involved, though, and is it compulsory for me to know?

We watch each other for a short while, him running his index finger across his bottom lip, me marveling at how damn sexy he looks doing just that.

'You'll come?' he asks, instead of demands. He is being really rather reasonable for Jesse. 'Please.' he adds hopefully on a pout.

Oh, I just can't refuse this man. 'Only because I love you.'

His pout transforms into a killer smile, and I pool on the couch. 'Say it again.'

'What? That I'll come?' I frown.

'Oh, you'll come all right. No, tell me you love me again.'

'I do.' I shrug. 'I love you.'

He grins. 'I know you do. I love hearing you say it.' He raises his glorious body slowly and puts his hand out to me. I take it, falling into his chest when he tugs a little. 'If you had kept running, we would be at home by now and I would be lost inside you.'

I mentally kick my running loser arse all over the coffee house. I should have kept going. It's a fifteen minute taxi ride to Lusso and I'm gagging for an encore to my morning workout. He drops a long lingering kiss on my lips and then proceeds to toss me onto his shoulder and stride out to the street.

I catch a glimpse of the young girl who served Jesse, looking longingly at me being carted out over the shoulder of my Adonis. I smile to myself. This is what every woman wants, and I have it. No one is taking him away from me, so if I have to go to the stupid anniversary party just to fight off the pack of lions waiting to sink their claws into him, then I will. I'll trample.

I'm tossed in a taxi and subjected to a torturous journey home. I can see the obvious solid, iron length under Jesse's shorts, and I'm fidgeting to try and dispel the buzzing hijacking me between my thighs.

'Morning, Clive.' Jesse says urgently as he pulls me along behind him.

It's a good job I have trainers on; he may as well be sprinting. He doesn't slow up when Clive calls his hello. He bundles me into the elevator, smashes his code into the keypad and pins me against the mirrored wall, attacking my mouth hungrily.

'I might have to f*ck you before my run in future.' he growls into my mouth. His primal tone has me falling to pieces under his hard body. My hands are fisted in his hair and pressing his mouth closer to mine, our tongues urgently battling in our mouths. This is going to be a shock and awe moment. We are way past sleepy sex territory and if those elevator doors don't open soon, it might be right here in the lift.

The doors slide open, as if hearing my thoughts, and I'm walked out into the penthouse foyer backwards, our mouths remaining fused and our tongues relentlessly dueling. I don't know how he manages it, but he gets the door open without breaking our contact and I'm having my sweaty running kit ripped from my body before the door is closed. He wants in quick which is absolutely fine by me. That was the longest taxi ride I've ever endured.

I kick my trainers off as he yanks my shorts down my legs, and I start pulling his vest up over his head. I'm released from his mouth for the few seconds it takes me to get his vest past his face before his mouth is crashing back to mine again and he's walking forward, directing my backwards steps towards the wall by the front door.