“Relax, baby,” he said, laying his hands on her shoulders. “You need to learn patience.”
Maybe she did. Shyla had never been one for delays. But his statement niggled at her anticipation. “You’re trying to drive me crazy, aren’t you?”
He tipped up her chin again and bowed to join their mouths in a short kiss. “I wouldn’t be doing my job right if I didn’t.” Score gave her a nudge toward the door. “Get back to work.”
Back to work? Yes, there was still dessert and clean up to do. Transporting her things from her room to his would be a happy task, so she couldn’t wait to do it. But before then, Shyla had to keep her head and not raise Beeks’ suspicion again. Easier said than done.
With her music playing and her heart soaring, Shyla packed up her possessions. It seemed like she’d only just unpacked and there she was putting everything in neat piles and sorting through her clothes.
Although her time in that room had been short, she would miss it and her bed too. Though neither were good enough to tempt her out of sharing space with Score. Just living in the apartment with him was an adjustment. After that night, she’d have to learn how to cohabitate with a man in his own bedroom.
But it was Score.
She was excited.
So excited that she didn’t know what to do with all her nervous energy. Swinging back and forth between elation and trepidation, Shyla finished moving and put on the lingerie he’d bought for her. Then all she could do was wait.
Every second seemed to drag as she waited for the elevator doors to open. Score would be home and as soon as he was…
The clock approached midnight. If something happened at the club, which would delay him, she doubted he would call. Surprising her, keeping her off-balance was one of his tricks. She couldn’t blame him for it. As frustrating as it could be to not know exactly when he’d return, it was exciting too.
Like a kid anticipating Father Christmas, waiting for presents, hoping to catch the jolly man in the act, she shook with nervous excitement.
Sitting on the terrace, admiring the expanse of black ocean speckled with the occasional light of a ship, Shyla practiced her breathing. Calming herself, she thought of Stan, of her grandfather, of the life she’d left behind. Her future was with Score, that was what she believed, though they hadn’t talked about what that might look like.
Although calmer than earlier, she was obviously still on edge because even from outside, the sound of the elevator doors snatched her attention. Leaping up from the patio chair, she went inside and smiled at Score who was standing in the foyer waiting.
She knew he was waiting because she knew what he wanted. Without saying a word, Shyla crossed the room to stop in front of him. After waiting just a breath, she took hold of his zip and began to draw it down.
Every time she’d taken his jacket from him, it turned her on. This time was no exception. With his heavy eyes matched to hers, she listened to her heartbeat syncing with his breathing. Something she’d always wanted was right in front of her.
Despite not having any skills of seduction, she wasn’t afraid. Score took all worry from her. He took her fears and insecurities. With just a simple look, he could erase them all.
The zip reached its end and the edges of his jacket fell open. Instead of sliding her hands up his body to his shoulders as she’d done in the past, she went around to reach for the collar. Easing it from his broad shoulders, she absorbed his heat and tried to assuage her desire to touch him. When he wanted her to touch, he’d tell her.
The previous night she’d tried to touch him without permission and instead he’d taken control. Score was in control. Shyla eased the jacket from his arms and put it in the closet before returning to her spot in front of him. She expected that he’d want her to take off his boots too, but before she could descend, he spoke.
“Strip.”
One word and it stopped her dead. Before leaving after dinner, he hadn’t made any suggestions on what she should wear for him coming back. But, just as she expected from him, he wasn’t shy about telling her what he wanted. On their first night of getting to know each other, he’d warned her he was bold.
Yet, in spite of that warning, every time he made a demand, a frisson of arousal bubbled up in her stomach.
Doing as he said, Shyla sought the straps of her dress and peeled them from her shoulders. Figuring they wouldn’t want any delays, she’d gone for something that was easy to remove. After the cotton was bunched at her hips, she pushed it down to the floor and kicked it aside with her bare foot.
His attention was still fixed on her. As her blood pumped hard through her veins, Shyla bent her knees, intending to go to the floor.
Score caught her arm and held her up. “You’re not done.”
She wasn’t… The lingerie was a gift, but apparently, he wasn’t interested in getting his money’s worth. A smile twitched at the edge of her lips. Enticed by his implication, she reached around to unhook the clasp of her bra. She’d been naked in front of him before, but not in the living room and not at his request.
Every time she’d been nude, they’d been in bed. As they grew closer and they crossed more lines, her boundary of experience was being pushed wider. After they were intimate, and they declared their relationship to the others, there wouldn’t be anything to stop Score making any demand
