Claimed for the Master's Pleasure (Guilty Pleasures #5)(23)

Jake fired the Mustang into life and drove across to where she stood waiting. A look of relief flooded her face as she spotted him. That was a good sign. He could already feel a surge of sexual anticipation working its way to his groin. After parking the car, he slid from the driver’s seat and walked across to her.

“You made the right decision, princess.” He carried her luggage to the car.

“You can take that smug look off your face, Benetti,” she told him as he stowed her luggage in the trunk. “I know there’s an attraction between us. Goddamn it, you know it’s there, too. But I can’t see how spending a month with each other is gonna solve anything.”

“I think differently. We share a connection, Lia, whether you like it or not.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, Benetti. I see you’re without your driver today?” she mocked as he opened the passenger door for her.

“I like to drive myself, Lia. I mainly use a driver when I’m on casino business.”

“Huh, what you really mean is, you drive yourself when you don’t want your employees knowing what you’re up to.”

“You’re very cynical,” he stated, staring into her beautiful green eyes. However, her observations were close to the truth. People talked. The less his staff knew about his private life, the better.

“Cynical? I can’t help being cynical. I guess it’s because of the type of men I’ve been dealing with lately.” With her final poisonous barb she slid into the passenger seat.

Jake closed her door, making sure he didn’t trap her dress, then walked around and sat beside her. Had he expected a rapturous welcome? That wasn’t Lia’s style. He guessed she was her own woman outside the bedroom, but inside the bedroom, well, that was a different story entirely. In the bedroom she was exactly his type of woman, totally submissive and eager to please her Dom. It was as if a switch had been thrown. Between the sheets, Lia was almost too good to be true. So much so, in fact, that he’d wondered if that magical evening they’d shared together had been engineered by her to make him forget about the money. Which begged the question—was she here with him now simply to just pay off the debt? He dismissed that thought. The way Lia had responded when he’d f*cked her was genuine. He was sure of that. She’d enjoyed it as much as he had. That was exactly why she was here with him now. She wanted more of the same.

Jake gunned the Mustang into life and began to drive them both from the airport. He couldn’t stop his gaze from wandering to her silky, smooth legs, and the delicate red shoes she wore. Her hands were clasped around her purse and rested on her lap. Each fingernail had been painted a hot, passionate red, exactly matching her dress and shoes. Long, slim arms with a light, feminine dusting of gossamer hair caught the sunlight as they drove through the Vegas suburbs. Lia was perfect in every way. His cock ached for her.

“Shouldn’t we have turned left at the last intersection?” She sounded slightly worried.

“No.”

“But that’s the way to your casino?”

“Yes.”

“Then where are you taking me?”

“My home is in Summerlin.”

Agitated, Lia rifled through her purse. She pulled out her cell phone. “I’m gonna call my friend. Just to let her know where I’m going.”

“You’re perfectly safe with me, princess. You can give her my landline number if you’re worried.”

A faint smile spread on her lips, and she tossed the cell phone back into her purse. “No need, it’s okay. Monica doesn’t need to know all my business. Just like your employees don’t need to know yours.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe you’ve just cost me my dream job.”

“You owe me a million bucks, Lia. You can’t just walk away.”

She stared at him a serious look to her face. “I would have paid you back. When the money came through, I was gonna send you a check.”

Jake raised an eyebrow and her lips pouted even more.

“You don’t believe me, do you?”

He shrugged and turned the car onto the ridge road. “Lia, you were about to leave the country, without so much as a forwarding address. Your actions speak for themselves.”

“You don’t believe me. I can see it in your eyes. Oh, well, there’s nothing I can do about that. You’ll just have to think badly of me. See if I care. Once my money comes through, I’ll be out of here.”

“Until then, you belong to me.”

“For now, but don’t get used to it.”

Jake felt his lips firming into a hard line. “You protest too much, princess. I know exactly what lights your fire, so don’t kid yourself. The reason you’re here now, instead of flying at thirty thousand feet, is because you want what I’m offering.”

“Jesus, you’ve got a nerve. Your ego is bigger than the whole of Nevada. The reason I’m here is…” Her words drifted away as she pointed up ahead. “Is that your place?”

“Yes.”

“It’s beautiful.”

Jake parked the car outside the opulent entrance, and then turned to Lia. He gently stroked a hand down her cheek, drifting a thumb across her perfect, pouting lips. He positively ached for her. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered in her ear. “I’ll show you around, and once you’re settled in, I aim to get reacquainted.” Using his thumb he tilted her head back. Her long brown lashes swept open and her eyes connected with his. He saw her pupils dilate as he covered her mouth with his own. Her sexual moan as he pressed his lips to hers was reward in itself, but feeling her body respond as she clung to his shoulders made any doubts about their compatibility disappear. Lia wanted him.