Intense: A Dark Billionaire Romance Read online

  Men like my father and Ethan run in the same circles. They do deals with each other all the time. I should have guessed that Ethan at least knew my father personally, or was possibly working directly with him.

  “He’s been watching me,” Ethan says softly. “Apparently he always does this. And when you threw your tantrum, I think he got pictures of you. And from there, he figured it all out.”

  “Shit,” I say softly. “Ethan. Shit.

  “I know.” He sighs, shaking his head. “Are you sure you’re not involved with him?”

  “Yes,” I say. “I swear. I hate that man.”

  “Good.” He sighs and closes his eyes before opening them and smiling slightly. I get a glimpse of the old Ethan in that moment and my heart swells. “I was worried.”

  “Why?”

  “Your father is currently blackmailing me with pictures of you. I was worried if he could pull off something like that, then maybe he could pull off something like...” He trails off, shrugging.

  “Like planting me in your house,” I finish for him.

  “Exactly.”

  “He’s not a genius. He’s just a ruthless bastard.”

  “I’m beginning to see that.” He stands and walks over toward the bedroom window. “I’m in a tough spot, Aria. If I don’t give in to what he wants, he’ll release those photographs.”

  “So what? Let him. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “I know that.” He looks back at me, a rueful smile on his face. “But the public won’t care. I’m in the middle of a high profile merger and things are dicey at best right now. Any whiff of failure and things can go belly up.”

  I stand and moved toward him. “I’m so sorry, Ethan. I had no clue.”

  “People depend on me. A lot of people. They’re not just my employees. I’m responsible for their jobs, their livelihoods. I feed their children. I can’t just fail them.”

  “But if you give in to my father, what then?”

  “I don’t know. But he wants you back. That’s what he told The Syndicate, at least.”

  I stop a few feet away from him, and I finally understand what he did for me last night. He refused to give me back to my father, saving me from more torture, but in doing so he defied the man with power to destroy him.

  More than that, he feels like he risked his entire company for me. He thought I might have been a plant by my father, he didn’t trust me at the time, but he did it anyway.

  I feel torn in half by conflicting emotions. On the one hand, I’m incredibly happy that he was willing to stand up to my father for me. It says a lot about the bond that’s building between us, and I know for a fact that it’s real. He must feel the same way, or else he wouldn’t have stepped up the way that he did.

  But it also means that I’m a liability. I’m the reason he’s even in this mess. Without me, he’d be better off, and now he knows it. He can’t think about just me and him, he has to think about all of the people that depend on him, and it’s clearly tearing him apart.

  I’m a liability. I’m his Achilles heel, at least where my father’s concerned. If he goes down, it’s going to be because of me.

  I hate that thought. It almost makes me want to gag and throw up. It send chills down my spine and lodges a huge rock in my gut.

  He looks away from me, back out the window. “So now you understand,” he says softly. “Your father is probably watching us right now. Or at least someone that works for your father is waiting for us to slip up so he can get more pictures.”

  “I should go back,” I say suddenly, blurting the words out before I can think about them.

  He whirls on me. “What?”

  “I should go back,” I say. “It’s the best solution. My father can’t keep me, so even if The Syndicate gives me back to him, I’ll just run away again. And right now, I’m a liability for you.”

  “No,” he says forcefully. He steps toward me and takes me by the shoulders. “Do you hear me, Aria? I’m never going to give you back to that man.”

  I bite my lip. “You can’t keep me from them if they want me,” I say. “They’ll come for me.”

  “Let them come,” he says fiercely. “You’re mine, Aria. Do you hear me? You’re mine. They can try to take you.”

  I stare into his gorgeous eyes and want to cry. For the first time in my life, I feel like someone values me above other people, and it’s an intense and strange feeling. I don’t know what to say to him, but that doesn’t matter.

  Because he pulls me against him and kisses me deeply.

  I return the kiss with something like hunger, maybe something like madness. It’s a frenzy and a starving blind and dumb need, and I can’t hold it back. He crushes me in his arms, in his kiss, and I feel held, protected, valued.

  Slowly, he breaks the kiss off and steps away from me. “I need time to think,” he says. “I don’t know how I’m going to play this with your father.”

  “Whatever I can do to help,” I say.

  “Of course.” He grins at me. “Don’t worry. I’ve handled bullies before. I can handle your father.”

  I nod, convinced that’s true.

  He turns and walks past me and toward the door. I watch him go with something like admiration and something like horror. I’m afraid that if he leaves now, he’ll never come back. But I can’t call out for him. I have to let him go.

  He pauses and looks back at me. He smiles and nods, and then leaves the room. I stand there, breathing in and out, and finally collapse onto the couch.

  So much happened so fast, and I’m still processing. I don’t know how we got to this point, and it is a point, but it’s one that I don’t entirely understand.

  Something is happening between us. It’s more than just him buying me and making me his pet. There’s a real connection, one strong enough that he’s willing to risk important things for me. But I can barely even handle that.

  I don’t know what to do from here. The only thing I can think to do is to turn on the television and try not to cry.

  And so that’s what I do.

  23

  Ethan

  Another morning spent distracted, trying to get work done, but only able to think about Aria.

  Fortunately, most of what needs to get finished can be delegated. I hate to do that, but I can’t imagine that I’ll be able to buckle down and get it all finished in time if I try to take it all on myself.

  I need to figure out this Richard Taylor issue. That’s the most important thing right now. If I don’t bend and give him what he wants, then he’ll destroy me, and all this work will be for nothing.

  But if I do that, it’ll mean giving up Aria and betraying her. I just can’t do that. I couldn’t handle it if she gave me up to my father, and I can’t imagine doing that to her. Even if she says she’s strong enough, and even if she really is, it’s not right.

  I won’t do it. I won’t give in. I won’t fucking lose to this scumbag piece of shit. Before, I was willing to bend to him and to give in for the sake of the company, because I didn’t really know who he is. But now I do.

  After everything Aria told me about her father, I won’t let him win this, too. He’s a small, power-hungry little piece of garbage, and I won’t roll over for him. Just because he’s rich and used to be famous doesn’t mean he can do whatever he wants. Someone has to stand up to him, and that someone has to be me.

  Too bad I don’t know how. I have nothing to fight him with. The only thing I have is Aria, but she’s not a tool to be used in this little war, despite what her father may think. She doesn’t deserve any of this.

  I surprised myself by the way I reacted to The Syndicate trying to take her away. I was in shock after finding out who her father is and part of me thought she might be a traitor. I thought she might have been a mole, planted in my house by Richard. I gave him too much credit, of course. Richard isn’t some grandmaster of chess, he’s just a bully with a large bank account.

  But even despite my suspicions
about Aria, I couldn’t let them have her. I couldn’t let them take her away and give her to Richard Taylor. I couldn’t do that to her. She doesn’t deserve it, but more than that, I want her. She’s mine.

  I opened up to her in ways I never expected, and I felt that returned by her. I felt her own pain and humiliations and failures, just like she felt mine, and we were connected. We still are connected, and the idea of letting The Syndicate break that connection drives me fucking insane.

  No, it just isn’t going to happen. She’s safe back at my house. I’ve already hired a small private security firm, and they’ll be guarding the house twenty-four seven for as long as this situation continues. The Syndicate won’t get anywhere near Aria unless I let them.

  And if I need more muscle, more guns, more men, I’ll get them. I’ll expend any amount of money I have to.

  But the issue of Richard is still outstanding. I pick up my phone and dial his private number, not really thinking about it.

  He answers on the third ring.

  “Ethan,” he says.

  “Richard.” I try to keep the anger and disgust from my voice.

  “I was wondering when I’d hear from you.”

  “We should meet. And talk.”

  “You’re right. We should.” The bastard sounds cocky. I hate that.

  “You should know something,” I say softly. “You’re not going to get her back. No matter what.”

  “Oh, I doubt that’s the case,” he says.

  I have to restrain myself. I want to go off on him, but I know that won’t do anything.

  “Meet me at La Azteca tonight at five.”

  “I can do that.”

  “Good. See you then.”

  “And Ethan?” he says quickly before I hang up.

  I pause. “What?”

  “Be nice to her. She’s had a tough life, you know. She’s a junky bitch, after all.”

  Rage tears through me. I want to yell and scream and tear him to pieces, but instead I just calmly hang up the phone.

  He’s trying to goad me. He knows what he’s doing.

  Doesn’t make it any less disgusting. And I’m no less pissed off.

  But that’s for tonight. I stand up and grab my jacket, putting it back on. For now, I’m going home to see Aria. I don’t know what’s going to happen between me and Richard tonight, and I want to see her before anything goes down.

  I hurry home, a knot of worry in my stomach.

  24

  Aria

  I’m surprised when Ethan brings my lunch instead of Jenkins, though I probably shouldn’t be.

  He walks into the room and takes off his jacket.

  “You’re home early,” I say.

  “Being the boss has some perks.”

  “I’m sure it does.”

  He smiles and sets lunch out on the table. “At this point, I’ve given away most of my tasks to subordinates,” he says. “I have a capable staff. I’m a very good judge of character.”

  “I know you are.” I say. I sit down at the table and he sits across from me.

  “All of this...” He pauses. “It’s weighing on me. I don’t trust myself right now.”

  “Why not?” I ask him.

  “It’s a critical time, and if I take too much on, I could make a mistake.”

  “That doesn’t sound like you.”

  “It’s not. None of this is like me.” He smirks and shrugs. “But it’s fun, at least.”

  I laugh. “It’s fun?”

  “Sure it is.”

  “I’m not sure I’d call any of this fun.”

  He cocks his head at me. “Are you sure? You seemed like you were having fun the other night.”

  I blush and look away. “I guess I wasn’t thinking about that.”

  “I was,” he says.

  “Maybe that’s why you can’t work.”

  “Maybe,” he says seriously. “I keep thinking about you, my little pet. I keep seeing you tied up to my bed... do you like your punishments?” he asks.

  “Yes,” I say softly. I can feel a flush in my body, that familiar hum of desire starting to grow in my core. The tension lately has been overwhelming, and I’m surprised that I’m suddenly craving his touch in a way I never imagined. I thought I was too upset to feel this way, but clearly I was wrong.

  He leans forward over the table. “What do you like?” he asks.

  “What do you mean?”

  “When I touch you.”

  I bite my lip, blushing like crazy. It’s silly to blush and feel embarrassed, but I can’t help it. I’m not used to a man being this direct, especially a man like Ethan.

  “I don’t know,” I say.

  “Do you like it when I spank you?”

  “Yes,” I admit. “I didn’t think I would. But it’s...”

  “Hot,” he finishes for me.

  “Yes,” I say. “And it feels good. It’s strange.”

  “It’s not strange. Pleasure and pain. They’re not so different.” He stands and looks at me. “Are you still my pet?”

  “If you want me to be.”

  “I do.” He walks around the table and takes my hand, helping me up. He takes my hips and pulls me against his body. He’s so large and muscular, he practically swallows me up. I love the feeling of him against me. I love knowing that he can break me, destroy me, throw me around easily if he wanted to. I love knowing he can dominate me.

  “Tell me what you want,” he says.

  “Punish me,” I whisper, surprising myself.

  “Good girl.” He steers me toward the bed then presses me against one of the posts. “Stay,” he orders, before leaving for the closet.

  He returns a minute later holding the familiar pieces of black silk. He walks slowly toward me and I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, practically trying to leap out of my ribcage.

  “This will be very simple,” he says, stopping in front of me, his body against mine. He reaches around me and takes my wrists, crossing them behind the post. “I’m going to tie you here. And then I’m going to take what I want from you.”

  I nod once and feel him begin to bind my wrists together. When he’s finished, he binds my wrists around the pole. Satisfied, he steps back.

  “Test that,” he orders.

  I move my wrists. I have good range of motion, but they’re still tightly bound. “Good,” I say.

  “Good,” he echoes, stepping toward me. He takes my hair in his fist and tips my head back. “Very, very good.” He kisses my neck before kissing my mouth, his tongue gently touching mine, his lips smooth, his taste perfect.

  I groan as his hands roam my body, feeling my breasts, lingering on my hips, brushing the small of my back. I can feel the heat and desire radiating off him in waves and I know I feel the same way, have the same feelings of desire coursing through me. I can already feel my pussy is dripping and my head is spinning, and I don’t want him to stop.

  He gently tugs my shorts down over my ass and I feel his palms press me against him harder. He kneads my ass and kisses my neck, and for a second I’m completely lost in this moment.

  I feel his right hand move around toward my pussy and I shiver. I squirm as he finds my clit, his experienced hands sliding down the front of my panties. He rubs me in soft circles, his lips still against my neck. I want to struggle, not because I want it to stop, but because I like being reminded that I can’t get away.

  I spread my legs wider and I feel him smile. “You want this, don’t you?” he whispers.

  “Badly,” I admit.

  “Why?” he purrs. “You’re dripping wet, Aria.”

  “You make me feel this way.”

  “Way?” he asks again. He presses two fingers deep inside of me and I moan.

  “I don’t know,” I say.

  “Tell me why you want this so badly.”

  “I can’t think with you doing that,” I admit.

  He smirks and stops. I give a little whine and cock my head at him. “Now, tell me.”<
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  “Don’t stop,” I groan.

  “Answer me.”

  I look away, blushing. “Because I’ve never felt this good with someone before.”

  “That’s right,” he says and his fingers resume their work, making me groan and bite my lip. “Only I can make you feel this good. That’s why you’re mine. That’s why you don’t want to leave here.”

  “It’s true,” I groan. I don’t know why I’m admitting it. “I don’t want to leave you.”

  “I won’t give you away, my pet,” he says softly. “You know that, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” I gasp.

  He smirks and slowly drops to his knees. He pulls down my panties and spreads my legs wide, his hands on my ass as he buries his face in my pussy.

  I close my eyes as his tongue and mouth find my clit. He sucks and licks me, lapping my every inch, sucking on my juices, swallowing me like he’s dying of thirst. He sucks me and my knees start to shake, but he supports me with his arms, holding me up. I can barely think as wave after wave of pleasure rocks through me, and I don’t want him to ever stop.

  I’m shocked as I feel an orgasm building inside of me already. I want to squirm away, make him slow down, but I can’t move. He’s holding me there tightly, not giving me an inch, and I know he knows. I know he’s aware that I’m about to come.

  “Ethan,” I groan. “Not yet. Please. I’m so close.”

  His grip on my ass tightens and his tongue and mouth keep working my clit faster, sucking harder, and I can’t stop it. I can’t hold it back. The orgasm passes through me, making every inch of my body clench and twitch as I explode with pleasure.

  He has to support me completely as I come, practically falling down, but he holds me there and doesn’t stop. It slowly crests and moves past, washing through me like a hurricane, leaving me clean and barren as he slowly pulls back, a grin on his face.

  “Good girl,” he says.

  I gasp in deep breaths. “Shit,” I say. “I wasn’t ready.”