Deep Longing (Bend to My Will #4) (7 page)

Lost in a world of his own, Jacob’s sole focus was the erotic sensations flooding his body and nourishing his soul. The minutes ticked by, signifying nothing. There was only now. There was only Vivienne. Then Jacob’s abdomen flattened, and his muscles turned to steel. Vivienne pulsed over him once, then again, screaming with pleasure as her climax hit a high crescendo. She shattered against her bindings, while Jacob fucked with wild abandon then exploded inside her.

Vivienne’s shrill scream echoed in the small room, then was drowned out by Jacob’s loud moan. He continued to stroke into her long after his peak, and Vivienne gripped tight, as if not wanting him to leave her. Momentary exhaustion mixed with deep satisfaction flowed through his veins.

When he could move, Jacob untied the ropes and lifted Vivienne into his arms. He kissed her cheeks, her eyelids, then her mouth. And she tenderly kissed back.

“Vivienne…Vivienne.” Each time he said it, her name sounded like poetry, which seemed so fitting for the beauty he held in his arms.

Taking her to the master bath, Jacob lowered Vivienne into the vanity chair while he ran warm water in the claw foot tub then added a few drops of scented oil. When the bath was ready, he took her hand and guided her into the water. Jacob got in with her and leaned back, holding her against his chest.

Jacob put his hands on her thighs and kissed the top of her head. “Are you okay, baby?” he said.

“Wonderful.” Vivienne pressed the back of her head against his chest, and Jacob wrapped his arms around her, letting the warm water relax him. It was good to hold her, feel her close. And they had the whole night together. Staying at the hotel had been a good idea. Jacob had Vivienne, all to himself. She was
his
, and that was just how he liked it.

Chapter 7

The night at the Plaza had been memorable. While walking to the shop the next morning, Vivienne smiled, sure that if anyone noticed they’d wonder what she was grinning about. But it was her secret. Jacob had once again pushed her to new limits, knowing her better than she knew herself.

Secured to the bench with bright green rope, expertly tied in diamond shapes, Vivienne had felt the thrill of submission. The rope tie had been aesthetic, making the experience beautiful. Yet it served a purpose too. She had been unable to move.

Bound for Jacob’s pleasure, as well as hers, Vivienne had relinquished control. And in doing so, she had climaxed three times, something she hadn’t known that she was capable of. But Jacob had stimulated her, taken her arousal higher, and guided her. The effect was magnificent.

The first orgasm had been delicious. The artistic rope tie had turned her on, and being unable to move intensified the experience. With hardly a moment to catch her breath, Jacob edged her into a second orgasm, and her body had responded.

Then Vivienne’s desire for Jacob had spiraled out of control. The sight of his gorgeous cock, and the look of animal lust in his eyes, had propelled her toward the precipice. And it hadn’t taken much to push her over the edge.

With Jacob fucking her hard, Vivienne had no choice but to submit, and she simply exploded. The third climax had been the most intense. The first two releases had not exhausted her, only warmed her up. The third in succession had made her entire core clench, shooting waves of pleasure through her body, while Vivienne screamed.

Soaking in the scented bath afterwards, Vivienne had felt so close to Jacob. Her heart was his. It had been that way for a while. But with each intimate interlude, every thrilling experience, she was powerfully drawn to him. And she didn’t see any end in sight.

Jacob continued to surprise and delight her. Vivienne didn’t know what was in his heart, because he didn’t share. But she did observe that he was affected by the amazingly hot sex, just as she was. Yet the more they did together, the more she wanted.

Striding down the sidewalk toward Vee’s, her thoughts remained focused on Jacob. There was no other man for her. And even now, having seen him just hours before, Vivienne longed for him. She couldn’t wait to be in his arms, and was tortured by their separation.

During the night, Jacob had held her close. They had gotten up before dawn and sat on the terrace, drinking coffee. They had watched the sky, in awe of the orange sunrise. Jacob had caressed her thigh, touched his fingertips to her cheek, letting her know how much he wanted her.

If they’d had more time, Vivienne would have fallen into his arms again. The overnight stay had been exciting, but not nearly enough. It would have been so easy to spend the day in bed with Jacob. But such was not to be.

Room service had delivered a breakfast of strawberry waffles with scrambled eggs, but after eating Vivienne had to get going. She used the elaborate bathroom that the hotel brochure called a
salon
, with its gold-plated fixtures and mosaic tile floor, knowing she wouldn’t soon forget the elegance of the Plaza.

Wearing the jeans and shirt that Jacob provided, she draped the shimmery cocktail dress over her arm. With her purse in hand, she followed Jacob downstairs, where Ian waited to take them home.

Jacob dropped her off first, so she could be to work on time. He walked her to the lobby door and kissed her goodbye. The kiss was hot, if short, and when he pulled away, Vivienne leaned toward him.

“I’ll call you,” Jacob said, almost like a real boyfriend. Then Vivienne turned to go inside, back to her normal life, which suddenly seemed so empty.

*****

Vivienne’s career filled her days, and she finally completed the formulas for the unique scents Alfred wanted. “They are just what I’m looking for.” His response pleased her. The website was nearly done, and would be online within a couple of weeks. The suppliers had come through with the needed stock, and it looked like Sensual Scents would soon be in business.

Lana was still seeing Trace, and one morning after aerobics, she talked about the relationship. After a hard workout, Vivienne strolled down the sidewalk, listening to her friend gush about it. “Trace invited me for a weekend trip to Hudson. We’re going to see Hamlet at a local theater there.”

“How exciting,” Vivienne said.

“Yes, totally,” Lana said. “He supports my theater aspirations, and seems to enjoy the shows we see together. You don’t think he’s faking it, do you?”

Vivienne laughed. “From what I know of Trace, I doubt it. He pretty much says and does what he wants. I can’t see him pretending.”

“I didn’t think so either,” Lana said. “But it’s going so well with us. Am I missing something?”

“No, you’re not. Just go with it. You really like him, right?”

“I passed
like
a long time ago.”

“Then you should be happy.” Vivienne hesitated before relaying the next bit of information, unsure about how her friend would react. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but Jacob says that Trace doesn’t usually date any girl more than a couple of times. But it’s been months, and he is still calling you.”

“That has to mean something, doesn’t it?”

Vivienne smiled. “I think it means he likes you.”

They arrived at the Juice Shack and ordered energy drinks, then sat at an outside table. They were on Madison Avenue, which reminded Vivienne of running into their friend Bentley. “Remember I told you about seeing Bentley at your show?”

“Yes, you said he’s working at Stage Right,” Lana said. “That’s just up the street. We could pop in and see him, but I doubt a costume shop would be open this early.”

“That’s okay,” Vivienne said. “I better not drop by.”

“Why not?”

“What I didn’t tell you about that night was that I swear Jacob was jealous.”

“Bentley came onto you?”

“No, he didn’t. And if I was going to do something with Bentley, I would have in drama school,” Vivienne said. “He’s just a friend. But I don’t think Jacob saw it that way.”

“It sounds like he’s the jealous type.”

“Yes, he wasn’t at first. But now he seems to be.”

“That should tell you how much he likes you,” Lana said.

Vivienne giggled. “Leave it to you to put a positive spin on it.”

“Remember that time in school when Bentley was cast in the girl’s part,” Lana said. “He looked pretty cute all dressed up as a woman. He got lots of kidding about that.”

“It was Shakespeare, after all. They used to really do that in those days. I don’t think woman were allowed to perform.”

“Well, that’s sexist,” Lana said, and took a sip of her juice.

“Yeah well, it was what…the late fifteen-hundreds?”

“Could have been sixteen-hundreds.”

Vivienne rolled her eyes. “Yes, but you get my point.”

“So everything is good with you and Jacob?” Lana said, without missing a beat.

Vivienne was blushing on the inside, but there was only so much she could share. “We’re good. Meeting his parents was a big step…for me, anyway.”

“Yeah, and I can’t get over that you stayed at the Plaza…on the spur of the moment.”

“Yes, Jacob can be romantic that way. Although he wouldn’t admit it.” Vivienne drained the rest of her drink. “And then we spent the weekend together at his penthouse. But you know what?”

“I have no idea.”

“I miss him during the week when we are apart,” Vivienne said. “Even though I have him all weekend long.”

“You have it bad.”

“I really do.” Vivienne looked to her friend for some advice. “I just don’t know where he wants to take this. I mean…I don’t know if he feels the same as I do.” There was no way to tell Lana about the scars that marred Jacob’s back, or the personal issues he refused to talk about. Since Vivienne knew so little, there wasn’t much to say, anyway.

“You worry too much. The guy has got to be crazy for you…seeing you every weekend, meeting his parents,” Lana said. “What else can all of that mean?”

Vivienne frowned. “You just don’t know Jacob. He’s not like any other guy.”

“I still say you don’t have anything to worry about.” Lana stood up. “I have to go. If I’m late for my shift at the restaurant, my dad will be miffed. I take enough time off for auditions and stuff. I don’t want to push it.”

“Okay, see you. I’m off to Vee’s. Will you be around tonight?”

“Not sure.” Lana grinned. “I’m hoping Trace will call.”

And Vivienne hoped Jacob would call, which was a lot less likely. At least she had the weekends with him, and Friday couldn’t come soon enough. She dumped her cup in the garbage and headed toward the shop. If she walked fast, she’d get there before Michele and open up. That was rare, though, because her assistant had been arriving early to get stuff done before customers came in. Once the online business got going, Vivienne planned to give Michele a raise.

That day Vivienne managed to get the door unlocked, and the lights on, just minutes before Michele arrived. “You’re here bright and early,” her assistant said.

“Yes, I’m expecting a call from Alfred,” Vivienne said. “Can you handle things up front?”

“Yep, I got it.” Michele stowed her purse under the counter and started rearranging some new boxes.

Vivienne had time to check a few emails before Alfred’s call. He was ready to decide on a start date for the new venture. “I’m going to email the updated program to you,” he said. “I think I’ve covered all our bases. If you see anything I missed, let me know.”

As soon as the email arrived, Vivienne spent time combing through it. Alfred had been thorough, but she found one minor point to address. After replying, she got absorbed in other tasks. Other than a quick lunch, Vivienne worked nonstop all day, and was pleased with her progress.

Late in the afternoon, Michele popped into her office. “Remember I have that dentist appointment? I need to take off. I got the last one of the day, because I don’t like to disrupt work. But this guy is hard to get in to see.”

“Sure, no problem,” Vivienne said, and stood to follow her out. “I’ll come up front. You get going.”

Michele grabbed her purse and whisked out the door. Vivienne looked around. The counters were clean and everything was organized, thanks to her competent assistant. Some new fall scents had arrived, even though it was still summer. It would be good idea to display them prominently.

Vivienne squatted down to arrange a few bottles, then heard the sound of the buzzer, signaling the arrival of a customer. She stood up, and saw Milo walk in. “Good afternoon,” she said. “Nice to see you again.”

Milo gave her a charming smile. “Vivie, you look lovely.”

“That’s very kind of you. What can I help you with today?”

The man was in his forties, but very handsome. There was no gray in his hair yet, and judging by his physique, he was a regular at the gym. Milo was fairly buff, and usually wore his shirts a bit tight to accentuate it. He was flirty, but Vivienne just ignored it. Male customers often flirted, as if it was expected. It wasn’t something that impressed her, but she was used to it.

“What do you have that’s new?” Milo said. “I need something
very sensual
.”

Vivienne purposely didn’t ask him about the woman it was for. That would open the door to discussing his private life, and it wasn’t a conversation she wanted to start. The best approach with men buying perfume was to keep it professional.

“Your timing is good,” Vivienne said. “I have a few fragrances that just arrived.” She bent down again, and took out two bottles. It didn’t escape her notice that Milo watched, intently. His eyes didn’t leave her, and his gaze lingered a little too long when her shirt slid up as she crouched.

Vivienne stood up. “This one is a brand you’ve purchased before.” She used a ceramic blotter to offer a sample. When Milo took the blotter, his hand touched hers, and he left it there for a moment.

Milo shopped in the store frequently. Normally, Michele was there, but if the store was busy Vivienne had helped him with a purchase. She couldn’t forget that one day when Jacob happened to drop by. He wasn’t pleased to find Milo using his charms on her.

That day Milo had squeezed her hand when he left, which had been the first time he’d gone beyond just being charming. The way he looked at her now made Vivienne cautious. She was alone in the shop. Luke had left hours ago, and now Michele was gone too.

“What do you think?” Vivienne said, after he inhaled the scent.

Milo’s eyes met hers, making Vivienne uncomfortable. Something was up with this guy. Yet he was a customer, so it was best just to conclude the sale and move on. If she couldn’t handle a man buying perfume for a woman, then she was in the wrong business.

“I think this would smell nice on you, Vivie.”

She ignored the innuendo. “But you aren’t buying for me, Milo. And besides, I own a perfume shop. I have access to all the perfumes I want.”

The look in his eyes told Vivienne he wasn’t put off by her attitude. “What’s the perfume you have on now?”