His for the Weekend Page 2

  Fire still burned low in her belly, her pussy throbbing with unfulfilled desire.

  If she was going to react this way without knowing why, how could she go through with this weekend? How could she not? She’d given her word, and she would never renege on it.

  Why did she have the feeling her life was spiraling out of control?

  Chapter Two

  It was six-twenty. Cassie wasn’t going to show. Marcus shook his head, unable to believe she stood him up. He paced around the dark wood paneled security room, disappointment filling him.

  Pausing, he looked at the security monitors for the hundredth time. He’d pushed her a bit earlier today in her office, but only because he knew if he didn’t, she’d retreat to hide behind that layer of coolness.

  Sitting back in the chair, he continued to stare at the monitor. Did he regret pushing her? Maybe, just a bit. He’d watched Cassie enough to know the sensual woman in her was alive and kicking, from the gentle sway of her hips, to the small smile hovering around her lips. But today, there was something else.

  Fear.

  Damn. Is that why she wasn’t coming? No, he didn’t believe that. He’d seen her in action, and his Cassie wasn’t a coward. She’d taken on other managers in the office when they talked down to her or made lewd jokes, and never batted an eyelash.

  The ringing of a bell startled him out of his chair. He blinked and glanced back at the monitor. A small, gunmetal gray SUV with a very harassed-looking Cassie behind the wheel idled at the gate.

  His palms were damp with anticipation. Wiping them down his pants, he then pressed the button, allowing the security gates to open. He hit several keys on the keyboard and the cameras followed her progress. He zoomed in the focus, giving him a close up view of her face.

  She was stressed. He could see it in the tightness of her mouth, the way her brows were scrunched up, and the way her hands were gripping the steering wheel, her knuckles white.

  Was she nervous? Afraid? She had no reason to be. Marcus watched the gate close. After making sure it was secure, he left the room to greet his guest. Maybe a change of plans was a good idea.

  ****

  Cassie took another deep breath for what seemed the hundred thousandth time. A last minute problem had tied her up at the office, and by the time had she finished, ran home and packed a bag, she knew she’d never make it to Marcus’ by six.

  While driving, she cursed him for not giving her a number where she could reach him. And she drove as fast as she dared. The police were ruthless on speeders and the last thing she wanted tonight was to be arrested.

  Pulling her SUV to a stop in the circular driveway, she stared out the windshield.

  What are you doing? The answer hadn’t changed since the last time she asked herself the question. Doing what you’ve wanted to do for the past year—have sex with a man who has dominated your dreams and fantasies.

  A sliver of fear held her back. Not fear of Marcus, but of herself. She refused to believe she was like her mother, submissive to the point of letting her partner do whatever he wanted, no matter what.

  But isn’t that what happened with Marcus today in her office? She shook her head. No, that wasn’t it. When she told him to stop the second time, he had. So who was in control?

  That was it. Control. This was all about control. And she was an expert at it. All she had to do was control her emotions and all would be fine.

  Her mother had no place here this weekend. Her mother was happy the way she was, regardless of what her daughter thought. Pushing the depressing thoughts away, Cassie’s gaze settled on Marcus’ home.

  The front door remained closed. Well, I can’t sit here all night. Exiting the vehicle, she snagged her bag out of the passenger seat, slammed the door and used the key fob to lock it.

  Striding up the walkway, she realized that Marcus was very security conscious. She’d noticed the security cameras at the gate, and she’d counted at least two cameras and five sets of flood lights from the gate to the front of his house.

  The arched entryway was impressive. It looked as if it were marble. And the size…she wondered why Marcus wanted such a large home.

  He never struck her as a person who was into material possessions. But then again, what did she really know about him? Except that he was straightforward and honest. He’d been that way from day one with her, when he made no bones about wanting her.

  Even after he left her office today, he’d emailed her his latest physical from his doctor, showing he was free from any sexually transmitted diseases. She’d done the same—not that it mattered, since it had been well over a year since she last had sex with a man.

  The heavy wooden door swung open when her feet hit the porch. Out of the corner of her eye, she found yet another camera perched in the corner.

  Marcus stood in the doorway. Her heart contracted. His hair was a mess and his arms were crossed over his chest. His stance screamed anger, but she thought she caught a glimmer of relief in his green eyes. She dismissed it.

  “Sorry to be late,” she said in a rush, and then wondered why she was apologizing. No more being sorry. She was not going to be like her mother.

  “Until you drove in, I figured you stood me up.”

  “I gave my word, and I never go back on my word. Shall I leave then?” She took a step back.

  “No.” He grasped her forearm gently and took her bag with his free hand. “Welcome to my home.” He guided her inside, and then kicked the door shut behind them.

  The lock engaged.

  Her heart jumped. “You live pretty far out.” Calm down, just the door locking.

  “I value my privacy.” His hands curved around her shoulders as he spoke, his dark gaze captured hers. “Plus it’s better not to have neighbors close. No calling the police when they hear you scream.”

  Cassie swayed on her feet, her senses going on full alert, the fear she’d pushed away springing back full force. Warm masculine palms cupped her cheeks and Marcus’ thumbs swept over her parted lips.

  “You’ll scream in pleasure, Cassie. I’m not into pain either, giving or receiving. Pleasure is what I enjoy.”

  The breath rushed out of her. “You had me worried.”

  “Something told me you would be.” An unusual light flickered in his eyes, but it was gone before she could figure out what it meant. “Let’s get you settled in and then we can have dinner.”

  “Dinner?” Confusion ran riot through her mind. Only a few hours ago, he couldn’t wait to get his hands on her. Now he wanted to feed her?

  “We need to eat.” Releasing her, he curved his arm around her waist and guided her up the winding staircase. “I suspect you missed lunch today.”

  Heat swept into her cheeks. Of course she had, since she’d been in his office during lunch time. Her feet glided over the highly polished wooden stairs. At the top, Marcus guided her right to an open door.

  Cassie jolted to a halt. Marcus squeezed her waist before continuing into the room with her bag.

  His bedroom? Of course it was. Wasn’t that what this weekend was about? But Cassie wasn’t sure if she’d call this a bedroom.

  Crossing the threshold, the room seemed larger than her entire apartment. The bed almost took up one entire wall, the cherry wood frame gleaming in the light from the huge picture window.

  Oh, what a view of the mountains you would have from that bed every day and every night. With a quick glance, she noticed the small sitting area with a love seat, but his walls were bare of pictures. The room was immaculate—either Marcus was very neat or had a housekeeper.

  “I’ve made room in the dresser and closet for anything you wish to store.” He gestured to the door which she assumed lead to the closet.

  They were going to share a room? Well, of course they were. She mentally smacked herself. Sex. That’s what this was all about, nothing more and nothing less. No emotions.

  Marcus sat her bag on the bed, and their gazes met as she walked farther into the room.


  “Unpack and freshen up if you want. I’ll be downstairs, finishing up dinner. You’ve got ten minutes before its ready.” His long strides had him standing in front of her before she realized he had moved. “The dining room is on the left from the bottom of the stairs. Please, don’t be late.”

  His index finger brushed over her lips and then he strode out of the room.

  Confusion ran through Cassie’s mind. Why wasn’t he taking her to bed? Yes, he mentioned dinner earlier, but she fully expected him to jump her bones the minute she entered his home. And he didn’t. Why not?

  Nothing was making sense right now. Earlier he couldn’t keep his hands off her, but now he was playing it cool. She rubbed her temple to ease the pounding.

  There was no figuring out what Marcus was thinking. She was usually pretty good at reading body language, his told her he was angry, but his actions were gentle and kind. He was confusing her and she didn’t like it. Now all she had to do was keep a lid on her own emotions and get through the weekend. She didn’t want a controlling man like Marcus in her life.

  Picking up her bag, she strode over to the door and opened it. A walk-in closet. She stepped in and noticed another open door at the end, leading to the master bathroom.

  Maybe splashing some cold water on her face would help her pull herself back together. She had a feeling she was going to need all her wits about her to deal with Marcus.

  ****

  Marcus walked into the kitchen, fighting the need to hightail it back upstairs and throw Cassie onto his bed and sink into her wet pussy.

  The second he opened the front door and saw her tenseness and the slight glimmer of fear in her eyes, he knew he’d made the right decision to slow things down. But he couldn’t stop himself from playing lord of the manor and showing his anger. But then it dissipated the second he saw her fear, making him more concerned than angry. What in her past was making her so wary?

  Checking the pot of water on the stove, he added the angel hair pasta, then went to check the table settings.

  There was something about Cassie that called to him on an emotional level. He wanted her, that was a given. And from her earlier reactions to him, she wanted him, too, but she was holding back. Or something was holding her back.

  Was she afraid of sex? He didn’t think so, since the woman worked for a sex fantasy company. She’d engaged one of their own departments for a fantasy. That meant it had to be fear of him. His gut clenched. Had a man hurt her in the past? He knew her last relationship went south a little over a year ago. But he would never hurt her, she had to know that. Or did she?

  Automatically, he checked the wine glasses, plates and candles; everything was in its place—except his libido. It was out of control, but he’d never had much control around Cassie anyway.

  He’d wanted her for almost a year now, and he wasn’t used to denying himself. Striding over to the stereo, he pushed the button and soft jazz filled the air. Jazz always helped him relax and tonight he needed it. He would show Cassie that she had nothing to fear from him.

  Soft footsteps caused him to turn. Cassie stood in the doorway of the dining room, her rosy lips slightly parted in amazement.

  Marcus was glad to see she’d taken her hair down and let it float around her shoulders. Plus she’d changed out of her business suit into a lounging-type outfit. Good, he wanted her to be comfortable.

  “Come, sit down.” He sauntered across the room and pulled out one of the cherry wood chairs for her. “Dinner is almost ready.”

  Cassie glided over and sat down. When he leaned to push her chair in for her, he smelled honey and cream. He inhaled the scent and his cock leapt behind the zipper of his jeans.

  Later, he promised. Later he’d bury himself in her scent until it covered him completely. Enforcing his own will, he picked up the bottle of white wine and poured her a glass. “If this isn’t to your liking, let me know. I have other wines.”

  She nodded, but otherwise sat still as a statue. She looked uncomfortable and he didn’t have a clue how to make her relax.

  “I’ll be right back with dinner.” He didn’t wait for her to answer and bolted to the kitchen.

  What the hell was wrong with him? Not only was his cock hard, but he ran out of the room like the nerdy boy with a crush on the head cheerleader in high school. Control, he reminded himself. He needed control. Crossing the tile floor, he pulled the asparagus and pine nut salad out of the fridge.

  The pasta was done. After draining it, he poured it into a large bowl and tossed it with olive oil, then added the shrimp he’d cooked earlier.

  Putting the plates on the tray and covering them, he then set the chocolate soufflé into the oven and set it on low. It would be ready when dinner was over.

  Seduction by food. A smile curved his lips as he picked up the tray and carried it into the dining room.

  Cassie was relaxing back in her chair, sipping from the wine glass in her hand, swaying lightly to the music.

  “Dinner is served, my lady.” He set the tray down and took his seat to her right.

  She set her glass down and her mouth opened into an O as he set the salad plate in front of her.

  “You cooked?”

  “Yes.” He tried not to laugh. “What did you expect?”

  “You don’t have someone who cooks and cleans for you?”

  “Clean, yes. Cook, no. I enjoy cooking. Eat up.” He picked up his fork and watched her do the same. Spearing a small piece of asparagus and the other vegetables, she brought it to her lips. Her eyes closed as she chewed.

  She let out a light moan, obviously enjoying the taste of the food. “Oh my,” she said, after swallowing. “This is delicious and I usually don’t like cold veggies. What did you do to it?”

  Outside of his R&D work, cooking was a passion. “Sautéd the asparagus with pine nuts in olive oil.” He relaxed. He’d wanted to make a good impression with the food and he had. And that made him happy, grinning he said, “You have to let it cool completely, then add spinach and toss it with more olive oil and a hint of white wine vinegar. Then into the fridge to chill.”

  “Delicious.” She took another bite. “So where did you learn to cook?”

  “College.” Marcus picked up his wine glass and leaned back. “I was tired of eating out or getting pizza, so I took one of the university’s cooking classes.”

  “And excelled at it.” She flashed him a grin and his cock hardened further.

  “Naturally.” He fought against his reaction. He wanted her calm and relaxed, to show her he wasn’t a threat, because he wasn’t. He was just a man who wanted to make all her fantasies come true. Every single one of them.

  Cassie sipped the white wine, savoring the light, sweet flavor as it slid down her throat. It helped keep her confusion under wraps. Marcus had cooked for her? This didn’t fit the picture she had of him as the wild bachelor who took a different woman to bed every night, and this wasn’t the way she thought the weekend would start out.

  She glanced at the covered plates and wondered what other surprises he had for her. The heavenly scent wafting from the plates made her mouth water.

  “You’re not eating.” She dabbed her lips.

  “I’m not hungry for food.”

  Cassie held her breath when Marcus leaned forward, but all he did was remove her empty plate and replace it with a covered one. With a flourish, he lifted the lid.

  Pasta with shrimp. Her stomach grumbled while the delicious scent filled her brain. Without hesitation, she picked up her fork and dug in, knowing Marcus was staring at her. But she couldn’t help herself—she was hungry. The pasta practically melted on her tongue. She wasn’t a bad cook, but her pasta never tasted like this.

  “You like?” There was a hint of amusement in his voice.

  “Love it. You’re a great cook. My pasta always sticks or is tough.”

  “Add a little olive oil to the water when it boils—it helps stop the sticking. As for the toughness.” He leaned
forward when she set her fork down. “You’re not cooking it long enough. Everything is better when it simmers for a while.”

  It wasn’t just cooking he was talking about by the heat in his gaze. Was that why he wasn’t rushing her into bed, because he wanted their need to simmer for a while?

  Picking up her wine glass, she took a sip and sat back in the chair. “So what was your major in college?”

  Chicken. A small voice inside her whispered. She wasn’t chicken, but self preservation was still an option.

  A grin played around Marcus’ lips. “Engineering.”

  “No wonder you like R&D so much.”

  His laughter caressed her every nerve, the rich husky sound warming her.

  “The R&D job at Fantasies Inc. was made for me.” He refilled their wine glasses before lounging back in his seat again. “Tell me how you came to work there?”

  “I was bored in my last job and saw the online ad for a customer service manager. I applied and got the job.”

  “And what did you do before that?”

  Cassie exhaled. She really didn’t want to get into this, but she was the one who opened the door, now she needed to shut it. She waved her hand in the air. “Too many jobs to go into. What about you?”

  A smile crossed his lips, but it wasn’t one of those nice smiles. It was his wolfish I’ll get you, my pretty grin, as if he knew exactly what she was doing.

  She forced herself to breathe normally, hoping he wouldn’t see her racing heart. Stay calm. Stay in control.

  His forefinger traced the rim of his wine glass. “I worked with several engineering firms after I graduated college. When Fantasies Inc. started up, I saw the potential and joined up.”

  “So you’ve been there since the beginning.” The company was only a few years old.

  “Yes. The president and I are old friends from our college days.”

  What? Cassie blinked. He was friends with the president of the company. Oh God, if this weekend headed south, he could get her fired without cause. Her hand twitched.