Dark Demands - Taken for His Captive Read online

“You have such a wicked reputation with women,” she said at last. “Perhaps I should be careful. We don’t want people gossiping too much, do we?” Gina said wagging an accusing finger at him. “But I suppose your employees can guess well enough what’s going on,” she teased.

  “You have my assurance that you and they,” he said nodding at the office doors, “are quite wrong. I’m practically living like a monk at present. I’ve had little time to do anything else since I came here but work and sleep. And on my own,” he qualified seeing the look she gave him. “So my reputation, in this city certainly, should be unblemished.”

  Gina smiled at him but vividly recalled the things she’d found last night. He wasn’t being completely truthful with her. He must have taken at least one very lucky woman to his bed since living here and if the rubies, she saw on his dressing table were for her, then she wasn’t only lucky but a serious contender for his heart.

  He gripped her hand tighter as if to affirm the truth in what he’d told her. He wanted her to like him, to feel comfortable being with him. The sexual banter between them just served to increase his need for her. He’d known she’d be his next lover since that first moment when she’d stood up to him at the interview. But somehow up until now she’d managed to dangle herself just out of his reach. Even last night when he’d been so sure he’d take her she’d wriggled away from him.

  His handsome jaw line set firm as he reminded himself just how she’d done it and could only wonder at her motives. So the next time he wanted to make the delectable Miss Haddon his lover he’d make sure she couldn’t escape until he’d taken what he wanted from that luscious body of hers.

  He smiled and tugged her into the lift. He let it start the decent downwards then he pressed the button to make it stop. They didn’t have long but long enough for what he wanted to do. First he twirled her around taking in her beauty and looking closely at the clothes she was wearing for him. A short skirt that showed off her long, shapely legs and those breasts were still straining to free themselves from the restrictions of her blouse, a simple ‘tie at the front’ blouse that would offer no resistance at all. Had she planned it this way, he wondered his dark eyes aflame with need.

  He took her in his arms and looked into her lovely face. She was beautiful, delicate with full pink lips, irresistible lips. He touched them lightly with his fingers drawing their outline and as she sighed in response to this caress he felt the shiver of desire course down her back. He wanted her, he’d wanted her from the moment she’d walked into his office yesterday, but on his terms.

  “We must quench this,” he rasped with a look that made Gina’s toes curl with anticipation. Then reaching for her hands he gripped them both in one of his own before holding them behind her back. He was doing it again, immobilising her so that he could help himself.

  “You know how this works; I don’t want you to move.” He heard her gasp and then a low moan escape from between her parted lips. Every little response, every little sound she uttered made his need sharper and forced his growing erection even bigger. He ran his masculine fingers gently down the outline of her cheek and tapped those sweet lips lightly.

  “Not a word,” he whispered huskily. “Or the maintenance people will have us out of here in seconds.”

  He was certain of her compliance. The frisson of electricity between them was overpowering in its strength and his eyes dropped to her moist lips, they beckoned him with their fullness, their hunger. He wanted to possess them, possess them along with the rest of her and he’d waited long enough. He took her lips in a frenzied, passionate embrace, his tongue demanding and urgently seeking out every centimetre of her mouth. Then pinning her against the lift side he tugged the tie of her blouse before slipping the clasp of her bra and letting her large, creamy breasts spill free.

  He rammed his body against hers and for the first time Gina felt his erection pressing against her. She moaned again and tried to move her hands, she wanted to feel him to put them around his neck but his grip tightened and she heard the soft growl of refusal deep in his throat.

  Dipping his head he gently took one of her aroused peaks into his mouth, the hard taut nipple felt hot and swelled to capacity under his tongue. The all too familiar stiffening asserted itself again, he wanted her, he wanted all of her, to ravish her sweet body before he was driven mad with desire. He used his free hand to slowly hitch up her skirt and ran excited fingers lightly over her silky underwear and stocking tops. She moaned again, that delicious, inviting little moan and wriggled her body against his invitingly.

  “Don’t fight this,” he whispered as with one smooth movement he eased her panties from her hips and let them fall to her ankles. His mouth still had her nipple, his tongue slaked over it with slow languorous strokes. Gina moaned again, his touch was glorious but this shouldn’t be happening, not here, the lift could start up again at any moment. But there was no way he would stop now. His fingertips skimmed over the silky smoothness of her thighs, practised fingertips, full of purpose and they swiftly found their goal, the sweet nakedness between her legs.

  Gina was floating on a cloud of blissful delight. Despite his grip on her hands tightening he was pushing her closer, closer to a fulfilment she could only guess at. This man was like no other lover she’d known. Her entire world had been shaken beyond recognition by him and in such a short space of time. Her body was on fire with need and her sex ached to have him touch her there. She knew she was wet, slick with her heady response to his caresses. Her movements to allow him access were automatic as she parted her legs for him, her breathing shallow and her blue eyes thick with hunger for his touch.

  Moments later his fingers slid inside her; Gina closed her eyes, whimpered with delight and floated in her own pleasure bubble as his touch thrilled through her body. She swayed and leaned into his chest her knees bent slightly allowing him to take her most intimate place in any way he chose to.

  He was gentle and given he was holding her immobile, surprisingly so. He slipped his fingers up and down inside her slowly, carefully feeling her, getting to know her. His thumb pressed down hard against her clitoris and swirled a sensuous little dance that made her inhale sharply between clenched teeth and gasp. Her sex pulsed and her labia swelled its glorious response to this sweetest treatment.

  She wanted time to stand still, to somehow stay in this man’s embrace forever but suddenly she felt the lift lurch and start its downward path towards the ground floor. In that instant Dark removed his hand from her body and pulled her panties back in place as she fixed her skirt and blouse. In no time the lift doors opened and silently taking her hand he led her out and into the street.

  The restaurant was literally only minutes away and Gina was grateful for that. Her entire being was alive with an electric excitement. His touch, this power he seemed to wield over her was both exhilarating and exhausting. They’d nearly been caught, their sweet interlude cut short and her body yearned for satisfaction, a satisfaction now denied until they could be alone again.

  “So what happened to you last night?” She queried shakily once they were on the High Street and she’d regained some composure. “I did wait but when it got so late I presumed you’d got delayed or cold feet,” she added reluctantly.

  “Not cold feet, Gina. Believe me,” he assured her. “I had to see someone and then I got waylaid by one of Carlotti’s crew, Kyle Hastings. Heaven knows what he wanted I couldn’t make out what he was getting at.”

  “I see,” Gina shrugged. “I thought perhaps you’d changed your mind and being nervous anyway I decided to leave things,” she admitted with a smile.

  “Matthew squeezed her hand. “No need to be nervous anymore. We are going to be OK, you and me, you’ll see.”

  Gina wished she could be as sure. There was still so much unresolved between them, her true identity for a start.

  The restaurant was busy but the owner spotted Matthew the moment they entered and rushed to greet him.

  “Ciao my friend,
” he grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously. “A table for two,” he offered smiling benignly at Gina.

  “This is a friend of mine, Vittorio, and we want your very best this lunchtime. I need to impress the lady,” he winked.

  Vittorio nodded in agreement and showed them to a window table where they could view the pretty little garden that had been created outside at the rear of the building.

  “I’ll bring you wine and I can recommend the Risotto Carbonara today. It is Mama’s finest and I know you’ll love it.”

  Matthew looked at Gina who was struggling with the Italian menu and nodded. “Vittorio is right,” he confirmed. “It’s a good choice.” Then looked round he asked that a selection of starters be brought while they waited.

  He’d no sooner asked than a waiter arrived at their table with a glass filled with tall sesame and bread sticks, bruschetta with garlic and parmesan cheese. It all looked quite wonderful and served as sneak preview for the main course to come.

  “I don’t normally eat like this at lunch,” Gina apologized as she picked at the food. “If I eat too much of this I’ll not manage the main course.”

  “Nonsense, we have plenty of time, you don’t have to rush off anywhere after, do you?” He asked. “We have a lot to discuss. First back at the office and then…,” he paused watching her nibble on a bread stick. “Perhaps back at my hotel and we can pick things up from earlier.”

  Gina’s eyes shot up to meet his. He was watching her expectantly wanting an answer; some signal that she wanted the same. Suddenly faced with this invitation again, did she really want to go and be alone with him in his bedroom knowing full well about those things she’d found in his bed? There was a whole conversation there that she just didn’t know how to broach.

  That she desperately wanted him wasn’t in doubt, her body craved for his lovemaking, and yes, and perhaps even for his own particular style of lovemaking. It was just that it was all so different, so fast and the words had fallen from his lips so casually, and rushing into bed after two short days wasn’t her usual style.

  “I’m not sure,” she hesitated. “I’m supposed to be seeing someone later,” she lied lamely.

  “Another prospective employer,” he queried with look of amusement on his face. “But perhaps you’re just teasing me, Gina, and stringing me along until you get that job you want? Is that why you let me do what I did in the lift earlier?”

  Gina frowned; she didn’t like the inference that she was using him. He was trying to turn things around, after all that had been his ploy not hers.

  “What just happened between us was your doing. You rendered me helpless, remember? And anyway it was you who offered me a job and in return for a night in your bed,” she hissed at him. “So you might ask yourself, Mr Dark, just who is stringing who along.”

  “Touché, Miss Haddon,” he replied softly. “So there is no real need for you to look elsewhere because my offer still stands. And as for the other stuff,” he smiled, “you know there’s something going on between us so don’t pretend otherwise.”

  Dark watched her, a strange expression on his face. There was something going on and something a little different from the usual. It was more than just wanting to bed and possess this one, she was different but for now he couldn’t work out why.

  “Perhaps there is,” she shrugged. “But that doesn’t mean I’m prepared to play your games and you know very well what I‘m talking about, Matthew.”

  He watched Gina’s face pink and smiled slowly. She couldn’t hide it, she’d been to his suite and he knew very well what she’d found.

  “Aren’t you curious,” he asked her. “Wouldn’t you like to try sex my way, just once?”

  “It’s just not my style, Matthew. When and if I take a lover then it’s a partnership I want and I won’t submit to being made some sort of sex slave.”

  Now he laughed out loud and shook his handsome head at her.

  “OK, in that case I’ll not enslave you, Gina. But I have held you in my arms,” he reminded her. “And a man knows and last night you were so turned on you were ready to do anything for me, cuffs and all.”

  She glowered at him and swore under her breath. He was right, last night if she’d gone to his penthouse with him then who knows what would have happened and what she would have allowed him to do to her. Being restrained during sex was not her thing but she was well aware that it could add a certain erotic dimension to the proceedings, particularly with him.

  “I think you fancy me every bit as desperately as I fancy you? ”He put to her watching her flush with a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment. “In that case you should welcome the invitation to come to my bed. Even if I do decide to tie you to it”

  There, it was said and Gina felt an immediate fizz of something she didn’t understand envelop her body. She wasn’t disgusted, she wasn’t afraid, instead for some inexplicable reason she was, once again, incredibly turned on by both what he’d said and the images flying around her head.

  Chapter 8

  “Tie me to your bed,” she repeated slowly her throat drying at the thought and still blushing. “You say those things to me and you really shouldn’t. I just don’t know who you are or where I stand with you.” Was she that transparent that he knew just how much she fancied him and his odd ways?

  “OK, calm down. Perhaps I’ve gone too far,” he allowed. “And if I have offended you, yet again,” his eyes twinkled with amusement. “Then I apologise so let’s just enjoy the meal and then we’ll see what happens.” His dark eyes twinkled and he squeezed her hand.

  “Gina, sweet girl, please don’t think too badly of me. You have a very odd effect on my senses, which, I’m afraid, is my only excuse.”

  Then he put her hand to his lips and kissed her finger tips gently savouring their taste before taking them into his mouth and caressing them with his tongue. This act was so sensuous it made Gina tremble as she imagined him giving this attention to other parts of her body. She couldn’t take much more of this and she snatched her hand away tempted to slap his face in the process.

  “Don’t,” she retorted sharply. “You’re the one who’s the tease. We hardly know each other and everything you do and say is just so, so …”

  “Intimate,” he suggested his dark eyes sparkling with desire. “I’m a hot bloodied male, Gina. What else would you expect?”

  “A little more self control, you take far too many liberties, and I’d rather we took things a little slower.”

  Matthew gave her a look that plainly said he didn’t believe her but before Gina could say anything in her defence Vittorio brought the main course through and placed two platefuls of delicious looking pasta in front of them.

  “Eat first and we’ll talk later,” he winked and poured two glasses of the red wine Vittorio had had sent over. “Mama’s pasta should be eaten hot and believe me, Gina, it’ll be the best you’ve ever had.”

  He was right, the meal was every bit as delicious as he and the menu had promised and Gina cleaned her plate. Pudding was offered but she couldn’t take another bite and settled, instead, for a latte. The wine was strong and although she’d only drunk the one glass it had made her feel woozy, the cost of drinking at lunchtime, she thought.

  “We’ll go back to the office and I’ll show you around,” Matthew offered. “If you still want a future with my company then, yes, I think we can strike a deal. I’m not teasing you now, and to prove it I’ll remove all the strings I previously attached,” he surprised her.

  He smiled at her his face honest and open while Gina could only sit there and stare back completely flabbergasted and wondered what had happened to make him change his mind. Well not just his mind, the habits of his working life. ‘Employ as few women as possible’ was practically his mantra.

  But it was an offer too good to refuse so Gina was more than happy to return with him to the office block and eager to hear his offer. He wouldn’t elaborate on what he’d promised but simply told her that he
’d put flesh on the bones later.

  Once they were back Matthew showed her around. It appeared that as well as the alterations Gina was aware of he’d also bought the remaining three floors of the block. Her father had owned the bottom two and various other businesses had owned the other three. Her father had operated the workshop on the ground floor as well as limited warehousing. But Matthew had arranged the space differently; he wanted mostly offices although he did tell her that there was a research and development lab on the top floor.

  Gina smiled politely and listened to his explanations of what went on where. She tried not to look too interested in the R and D facility but in view of what Dark Electronics was currently working on, she was itching to be shown round this fascinating new addition.

  However before they got to the top floor they reached his office door and taking her hand Matthew pulled her in. “A little privacy,” he explained. “I’d prefer it if my employees don’t see you thumping me if you don’t like what I have to offer, or what I’m about to do to you” he explained kissing her cheek lightly.