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  Spencer’s frown intensified. “I know.”

  We fell silent. I wondered what he was thinking, and if I’d been in a real relationship with him, I would have asked. I wished I weren’t so exhausted and could enjoy the exhilaration of sitting so close to him in such a small and contained environment.

  Finally, he cleared his throat. “Just as an FYI, you’re not allowed to go roaming wherever you want. The atrium will have everything you need.”

  I turned to take in the fields of wild grass and dark mountains rising in the distance. I was pretty sure he didn’t have to worry about me wandering off. “What about town? I may need to get some essentials.”

  “Write a list of everything you’ll need, and Felix will take care of it for you.”

  I whipped my attention to his perfect profile and blinked at him. He continued looking straight ahead.

  “What if I want to go into town to get people contact?”

  “As long as you’re here, you stay here.”

  I shook my head jerkily. “Is that your roundabout way of saying that I can’t leave the property?”

  His Adam’s apple bobbed. “You have everything you need here, Jada.”

  “But not people contact. Not a social life,” I whined.

  He glanced at me, and it was long enough for his glare to burn me through and through. “You can’t leave the property. That’s the rule.”

  I threw my hands up. “Then I’m a prisoner?” I was being purposely dramatic.

  “You’re not a prisoner, Jada. You may leave at any time. However, while you work for me, you stay on this property.” His even tone had a sharpness to it that could cut through steel. Why do I find that so damn sexy?

  He sighed forcefully. “I don’t want you to leave. I understand you’re lonely, and I will do a better job of being present. Sarah works in the atrium. She’ll provide you with company as long as you’re there.”

  I almost wanted to laugh my head off, but after taking a second look at him, I saw he was being serious. I slumped as I narrowed my eyes at a large building that resembled a ski lodge coming up on my right. “You’re the boss, and I need the money,” I muttered.

  He didn’t respond, but I could feel him watching me. I refused to meet his gaze.

  “Did you see how we got here?” he finally asked.

  “Yes.” I kept my eyes off him. He knew I wasn’t an idiot. The atrium was less than a mile up the road from the main house.

  “This cart will be yours. You can drive it to the atrium whenever you want. It’ll remained parked in the front of the house for you.”

  When I finally turned, our eyes connected. I saw the tiny flecks of light brown in his blue irises. I had to rip my attention from the strange moment we were sharing. I heard his door open and close, and soon he was on my side, opening my door for me.

  I felt as if I was walking on air as I followed him up the path to our destination. When we made it to the entrance, he held the door open for me, and once again, I felt giddy as I passed him. As soon as I stepped inside, the warmth and moisture from the Olympic-sized Roman-styled swimming pool filled the air.

  “Wow, this is nice,” I said.

  I turned to make sure Spencer was there. He was standing still, watching me with a burning look in his eyes. A knot formed at the bottom of my throat as shivers of excitement raced through me. The desirous energy he emitted enslaved me. The moist air stood still as I watched him reach down for my hand. Is this a dream? Then our bodies were pressing against each other. His chest was hard, his hands strong, and the bulge between his legs made of steel.

  “Mr. Christmas, it’s you,” a woman said happily.

  He quickly let go of me as we turned to see a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties. She was wearing tight black yoga pants that hugged her crotch and a white fitted T-shirt, knotted to display her midriff. Her hair was in a ponytail that swung as she pranced our way, and she seemed confused about whether to settle her curious but friendly gaze on Spencer or me.

  “You must be Jada Forte,” she said, keeping a smile pinned to her lips.

  I wasn’t shocked that she was aware of my arrival. I was getting the impression that everyone I’d come in contact with had not only been handpicked to be here, but had been instructed to make me comfortable. I walked up to her and shook her clammy hand.

  “Yep, that’s me,” I said cheerfully.

  “I’m Sarah.”

  Suddenly, I heard the door open. I whipped my head around, but it had closed. Spencer was gone.

  Sarah was an upbeat person whose job it was to maintain the atrium. She kept a high-pitched, optimistic tone as she pointed out the Jacuzzi, steam room, and sauna. She showed me where I could have facials and massages—but I had to schedule the sessions in advance so a clinician could be flown in.

  “Has everyone who works on the ranch been flown in?” I asked as we stood behind the counter in a cozy room that looked like an upscale spa.

  Sarah responded by not changing her smile, which by now I knew was as practiced as her peppiness. It was her job to be a cordial host. I wondered how much Spencer was paying her and whether sex was included with her salary.

  “I don’t know, but we’ll have someone here this weekend, so you can just schedule your massage and facial with no worries,” Sarah said.

  I took note of her glossed-over answer. I could have insisted we have a longer discussion about it, but I wasn’t in the business of shaking down other employees to obtain information just to soothe my curiosity, so I shrugged, letting it go. “Sure, why not.”

  “Okay,” she sang. “Morning or afternoon?”

  “Afternoon.”

  “Afternoon, it is!” She reached under the counter, brought out a clipboard, and wrote my name on one of the lines. But I didn’t miss that Spencer Christmas also had been scheduled for a massage at one o’clock on Saturday and Sunday. I found myself wondering if Sarah was the one who was going to give it to him, complete with a happy ending. If so, I certainly didn’t want to be around to see the aftereffects. I changed my mind and asked for the morning.

  I could have stayed and gone for a swim, but I really wanted to get back to the house and veg out in my stunning bedroom. When I walked outside, I longed to find Spencer waiting for me behind the wheel of the golf cart, but he wasn’t there. If I was given another opportunity to be trapped in the cart with him, I would question him about his relationship with Sarah. I was sure they were fucking.

  There, mystery solved. I slid into the driver’s seat of the golf cart and turned the key, which was already in the ignition. Now I knew who he was having sex with and why he wasn’t attempting to do it with me.

  When I made it back to the house, I learned that Spencer had already given Marta instructions to set me up for lunch in my bedroom. She asked if I was okay with shrimp ravioli with a fresh antipasto salad and an assortment of cannolis for dessert. I dragged my tired body up the steps, only remembering when I’d made it halfway up that I could have taken the elevator. I was distracted by memories of being in Spencer’s embrace. What was that? What was he about to do—kiss me?

  When I entered my room, I fell onto the bed and tried to fantasize about how it would feel to have Spencer’s lips on mine and his tongue in my mouth. I saw us go at it, hot and heavy, Spencer groping my tits and licking up the side of my neck like this guy I made out with had done once. I liked it—I thought it was freaky and erotic. When that guy from the past tried to run his hand down my pants after doing that, I’d grabbed his wrist and rolled out from under him, scooting off the bed. But when the Spencer in my fantasy did it, I asked him to take me but be gentle, please, because it was my first time.

  The ringing doorbell jolted me out of my thoughts. I sat up straight, my eyes popping open. I pressed a hand over my heart to steady myself. Once I was calm, I called, “Come in.”

  One of the servers asked if I would like to have my lunch upstairs or downstairs. I chose upstairs, since I intended to
lie in bed and binge read The Dark Christmases.

  A pair of men rolled a silver cart to the round table with two chairs beyond the foot of my bed. The aroma of the food made me clench my stomach. I couldn’t wait to dive in. Curious, I watched them arrange two plates. Two glasses. Two sets of silverware. A basket of bread. Beverage service.

  I waved for them to stop. “You don’t have to set two place settings. It’s just me.”

  “I’ll be joining you,” Spencer said from behind me.

  I turned to see him, in all his glory, standing in the doorway.

  Chapter Nine

  A new word for awkward needed to be invented as we sat across from each other, eating in silence. The sexual tension between us felt as if it was going to zap all the life out of me. We kept trying to avoid eye contact. Then we both took a drink of water at the same time. We smiled at each other.

  “Sorry. I’m not a very good conversationalist,” he said.

  I frowned and nodded thoughtfully, stitching together all the conversations we’d ever had. “I guess you’re right,” I finally concluded.

  His eyebrows wrinkled then smoothed.

  “So,” I said, feeling naughty. “Are you saying you want to have a real conversation with me?”

  His mouth lifted into the sexiest smirk I’d ever seen. “Why not?” He readjusted in his seat, crossing his legs, and looked at me as if daring me to bring it.

  I knew exactly the topic he wanted to discuss. “Okay, so you said that beautiful woman who was here earlier was ‘business.’” I turned my head. “What sort of business?”

  I thought he would wipe the smirk off his face, but he didn’t. “The nature of the business is between me and her.”

  “Was it sex?” Holy shit! I can’t believe I asked that. I couldn’t even look him in the eye, and the fact that I couldn’t walk that question back made me want to disappear into the firm cushions of my chair.

  Spencer cleared his throat. “Have you ever had sex, Jada?”

  I felt my eyes grow wide. He asked that with such ease, while I was secretly freaking out. For sure, I’d stopped breathing, so I inhaled deeply to get the process going again.

  “Huh?” I said, the word coming out strained.

  “Never mind.” He uncrossed his legs. “No, there is no sex between me and her.”

  I pressed my lips, blinking rapidly. I was now more than happy to let any conversation involving sex fizzle away. But why did he ask if I was a virgin? Can he smell it on me? See it in my eyes? The woman he’d walked out of the house with earlier that day had probably had a lot of good sex. Spencer might have business with her, but based on the ease with which they shared each other’s company, they must have had an intimate bond as well.

  “So, do you have any brothers or sisters?” he asked.

  My attention had wandered off, so I set my focus back on him. “No. I’m an only child.”

  His eyebrows furrowed as if he hadn’t believed me.

  “Well, I am,” I said, sounding more defensive than I would have liked.

  Spencer evened out his expression. “I see. How long have your parents been married?”

  I tilted my head. “I thought you knew everything about me.”

  He cut a smirk. “I’m asking about your parents, not you.”

  I had a pithy reply prepared, but I was too hypnotized by the way his lips lifted ever so slightly into that sexy smirk. It took a minute to register what he’d said. “Oh, my parents. Right. They’ve been married for thirty-one years.”

  Spencer’s grunt was filled with intrigue.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Nothing. Good for them. So, Jada…”

  He had my complete attention as I chewed on the most delicious ravioli I’d ever tasted. “Huh?” I finally said because his pause was too lengthy.

  “How does a woman who looks like you have no boyfriend?”

  I felt as though my head was floating away from my body. “You think I’m attractive.”

  He cocked his head curiously. “Don’t you?”

  I pressed my hand on my chest. “Do I think I’m attractive?”

  He nodded gently. Gosh, he looked so sexy when he did that.

  “Um, well… I’m not lacking in self-esteem. But…” It felt weird talking about how I looked and, especially, articulating it to him.

  “But…?”

  “But I don’t go out of my way to appeal to the opposite sex.” I thought of how I’d been dolling myself up since I arrived. I’d never before taken so much time to apply mascara, blush, and lipstick. I crossed and uncrossed my legs. “I mean, it depends.”

  “On what?”

  I looked up and away from my lap. “If I’m going out with friends or…” I gazed at his waiting expression and shrugged nonchalantly. “Work.” My voice cracked, so I cleared my throat.

  His eyes seemed to search my face. “So, you’ve been in public relations for six years?”

  Relieved he was changing the subject, I smirked. “For someone who’s not conversational, you sure are good at it.”

  I made him smirk again, and it felt like a gift from the Almighty.

  “Do you like your work?”

  I nodded thoughtfully. “I do. I really do.”

  “You ever thought about entering into politics?” He put food in his mouth and chewed as he waited for an answer. His sexy lips were distracting.

  I cleared my throat. “Not if I have to work with my mom. And let’s face it, everyone from the president to the lowest member in Congress has to deal with Senator Patricia Forte at some point.”

  Spencer Christmas remained very still as he observed me. “Do you disagree with her politically?”

  I shrugged. “Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don’t. I never allow any person or ideal to put me in a box.”

  My skin warmed as he studied me with a soft expression.

  I cleared my throat. “And you’ve been in finance for how long?” I asked, my voice at least two octaves too high.

  Spencer Christmas looked off thoughtfully. “A long time.”

  “Do you like it?”

  “I don’t know.” His burning gaze was back on me.

  He had my rapt attention. “Why not?” I waited for his reply with bated breath.

  “Maybe because it was what was expected of me.”

  I grunted thoughtfully. “I guess I know how that feels.”

  Again, we were staring into each other’s eyes.

  “So, Jada…”

  I was feeling the full force of his gaze. “Yes,” I chirped and then cleared the nervousness out of my throat. “I mean, yes.” I tried to sound more confident the second time but didn’t succeed. He’d had made me nervous and horny as hell just by saying my name that way.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Are you really a virgin?”

  Every muscle in my body stiffened. I hadn’t expected him to ask that again. However, I was more in control of my wits this time. I folded in my arms across my chest. “Are you a virgin?”

  He grinned naughtily. “That depends on how we want to look at it.”

  I could feel the warm wetness drenching my panties. Every time I interacted with him, I got wet. If he were around more, I’d run out of panties faster. “What do you mean by that?”

  Spencer Christmas turned to look at my bed, and so did I. I wondered if this was his way of offering to de-virgin me. Then he set his attention back on me. “A man lives in phases.”

  My mouth had been caught open, so I closed it to swallow. “What do you mean by that?” I whispered.

  He moved his mouth as if he wanted to say more but then clamped his lips together and stood abruptly. I jumped, startled.

  “Jada, stand,” he said with his hand stretched out toward me.

  I could hear myself breathe and felt jitters race through me. Even though I was nervous as hell, I did what he had asked and took his hand. Once I was standing, Spencer Christmas guided me against him. I nearly crumpled in his arms as I felt the
stiffness in his groan. I’d been this close to a hard cock many times before. I’ve even let a couple of guys rub one out on me. However, none of their penises had felt as dense as Spencer’s.

  “It’s been a long time since a woman has gotten me like this,” he whispered, his warm breath pressing against my ear. “If I had known you were so fucking sexy, I never would’ve hired you.”

  I gasped when he ground his healthy erection against me. Our gazes latched on to each other and refused to let go. What next, Jada? I tried desperately to make myself come to my senses. The hard truth that I had to admit was that I was completely under Spencer Christmas’s control. He could do whatever the hell he wanted to me. I felt my eyes expand when his lips moved closer to mine. But then, to my dismay, he jerked his head away and then let go of me as he took a step back.

  We still couldn’t take our eyes off each other. However, I could see disappointment and shock in his. I wanted to say something. I was good at bringing moments like this back to a space where both people involved could laugh about them or pretend they’d never happened.

  I was still trying to come up with words when suddenly, Spencer turned, leaving me looking at the back of his head. I wanted to ask where he was going, but after what had just transpired, I knew we couldn’t just continue with lunch as though the sexual tension wasn’t too intense for us to ignore. The muscles in my body remained tight until he closed the door behind him.

  When he was gone, my legs felt as though they’d turned to jelly. I quickly calculated the distance between my abandoned chair and the foot of my bed. The chair was closer, so I made my way to it and plopped down on the seat. I was very clear on what I needed to do next. The time had come for me to dive into The Dark Christmases.

  Chapter Ten