Page 20 of Ruthless Touch
“Just assume I always know, Aria. So you enjoy Etruscan artwork. I think that surprises me. I like that.”
He sounds so smooth and so pleased that I don’t bother to mention that I don’t love it as much as he seems to think. It’s nice, but I think I prefer the blue and white vase in the penthouse more, even if it’s not priceless art.
“For once, you’re quiet. Why is that, Aria?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’m like a fish out of water here. Maybe you should ask someone who knows about art to talk about these things. I’m sure your assistant could do the job far better than I can.”
My jealousy comes through loud and clear, and I don’t care. Unlike him, I have no problem admitting when I’m jealous. It’s perfectly normal to feel that way. Maybe if he understood that, poor Marcus wouldn’t have been unceremoniously tossed out of the hotel last night.
“I’m not interested in Sasha’s point of view right now. I’m interested in yours,” he says sternly.
“Tell me what you did to that man I was dancing with last night. I want to know.”
“Only if you do something for me.”
Frustrated he won’t give me a simple answer, I sigh. “Fine. Tell me what piece of art you want me to look at and I’ll tell you what I think of it.”
“No, that’s not what I want. Lie back on the bench as we continue to talk.”
Confused, I look up to see if there’s some painting hung on the ceiling but see none. Lie back on the bench? Why?
I could ask, but what’s the point? We’ve done this my questioning and him not answering dance so many times in the past few weeks that I know what the outcome will be. I’ll waste my breath and he’ll tell me nothing.
When I’m fully reclined, I take a deep breath in and let it out in a rush. “Okay. What am I looking at?”
“Did you do anything in the shower this morning, Aria?” he asks in a whispery voice that hits me deep inside again.
Does he mean what I think he means?
CHAPTER EIGHT
Gideon
“Do anything? What do you mean?” she asks with a tremor in her voice.
I don’t answer for a long moment but then ask, “Did you touch yourself? You seemed very excited when we were talking this morning.”
There’s no point in her lying. She was practically begging for me to fuck her, even if she didn’t say a word about it this morning in the bedroom.
“No, and not because I didn’t want to. You gave me so little time to get ready before Phillip arrived that I couldn’t squeeze it in.”
“Then I think you should now.”
She swivels her head to look for where the camera must be as her mouth drops open in surprise. “You want me to play with myself here? In your art gallery? Why?”
“Because it would make me happy.”
“Ah, now I get it. Gideon likes to watch. Okay. That doesn’t mean I want to just slide my finger inside my panties and get off right here, though.”
“Why not?”
Everything with this woman ends up in a struggle. For once, can’t she just surrender and do as I want without asking questions?
“What about your security guy Phillip? He’s right at the door. What if he sees?”
“He’s been told to watch the door and not bother you. He won’t see anything.”
“So you watch while I play with myself? Will you be doing something wherever you are?” she asks, sounding suddenly more excited than even this morning back in the penthouse.