Page 24 of Mistletoe Mistake
I still wasn't following. “And?”
“And she recognized you,” Gemma reminded me. “And you told her you were with me. So, if she mentioned something on her social media...”
“The tabloids would have picked it up,” I concluded. Well, that did partially explain things. From there, it would have been easy enough to guess where I would be staying since my company owned part of this hotel, but I still had questions about why the idea of me dating Gemma would be of interest to anyone. Could it simply be because I hadn't been in a relationship for so long? I really didn’t think anyone cared that much about my love life.
Unaware of my train of thought, Gemma nodded in agreement with what I’d said out loud. “I didn't expect news to travel quite so fast, and I'm sorry if this causes you any trouble.”
I couldn’t deny it would be an annoyance, but at the moment, I had other things on my mind, things that had been pushed to the side for far too long already.
“Well, if I'm going to have paparazzi tailing me for the rest of my stay in London, then the rest of this evening better make it worth the trouble.”
Colour immediately rose in Gemma's cheeks as she realized what I meant. In all the confusion, she had almost forgotten, as had I, that we were now, finally, alone in my suite, back where we had been three nights ago. That night, I wouldn't have thought I could possibly want her any more than I did then, but now that we'd had to wait the extra days, it would be even more satisfying to finally have her.
Our interaction on the ferris wheel earlier had only added to the enticement, showing me just how much the idea of me telling her what to do turned her on, and I planned to take full advantage of that fact. In her professional life, she was in control and she liked it that way, but behind closed doors, I had a feeling she didn’t want that at all. Everything about her reactions to me suggested that she wanted to be dominated, whether she knew it or not, and I would be more than happy to oblige.
Since she still hadn’t answered me, I leaned in closer to her. “What do you think, Gemma? Are you going to make it worth my while?”
Draining the rest of her wine glass, Gemma put it aside and looked back at me, her eyes bright with anticipation. “How would you like me to do that?”
Her reply, breathy and full of need, was exactly the answer I’d hoped for. She leaned towards me, eager for my touch, but instead of closing the gap like she expected, I leaned back, spreading my arms over the back of the couch and making myself comfortable.
“You're going to start by showing me what I've paid for. I want to see it all and I want you to show it to me.”
When she hesitated, looking uncertain, I spelled it out even further, letting her know exactly what I wanted.
“You're going to strip for me, Gemma. Now.”
~Gemma~
Cole's words sent a shockwave straight to my core. He wanted me to strip for him? I had never stripped for anyone. I'd taken my clothes off, obviously, but not in the way he meant. Not like I was giving a performance, and every nerve in my body tingled as I realized he intended to treat me just like a hired woman, just as I had fantasized, and surprisingly, it turned me on just as much in real life as it had in my imagination.
Logically, I knew that I should back up a step and explain to him exactly why the paparazzi would be interested in me and him being together, but at the moment, I couldn't focus on that at all. All I could think about was his strong, demanding tone and the casual way he sat there, his eyes challenging me as he waited for me to entertain him. It didn’t look like he had any doubt that I would do it. He looked completely in control, which made me even hotter, my whole body crying out for his approval.
I wanted nothing more than to please him. Despite never having done this before, despite not having a clue what to do, I would do it simply because he wanted me to, and my legs shook in anticipation as I pulled myself to my feet.
Would this be better with music, I wondered? He hadn't said anything about music and where would I get music from anyway? My thoughts seemed to be all over the place, and I tried to focus and remain calm as I took a couple of steps away from the sofa before turning back to face Cole. The pounding of my heart sent my pulse racing throughout my body, but especially between my legs. Every part of me felt more sensitive and alive as Cole's eyes tracked my movements.
To start, I raised my hands to the back of my neck, gripping onto it while I rolled my head back, pushing my chest forward at the same time. Even my own touch made my skin react, I was so primed for any kind of stimulation. With my right hand, I reached up and pulled the clip out of my hair, releasing it from its twist so it tumbled down over my shoulders.
Cole shifted in his seat and my gaze immediately fell to his trousers as I wondered if he felt anywhere near as turned on as I did. Judging by the stretch of the fabric there, It looked like I might be on the right track, but I wanted to know more about what he wanted and how he wanted me to do it.
I wanted him to tell me exactly what to do.
“Would you prefer me to go fast or slow, Mr Stamer?”
I lingered slightly on his surname, something about referring to him that way making me feel even naughtier. Vanessa had called him Mr Stamer the other night, as if she didn't know him well enough to use his first name, so when I said it, it helped support the illusion that he had simply hired me for the night. From the way his eyes darkened, it seemed that he liked it too.
“Nice and slow, Gemma.” Cole's eyes never left mine. “Like I'm paying you by the hour.”
My thighs clenched at his words, a jolt of longing running through my whole body. Fuck, why did that turn me on so much? Since my mouth felt too dry to reply, I simply nodded in agreement.
With slow, deliberate movements, I undid the buttons of my blouse, one by one. Cole's eyes followed my hands, his jaw clenching as my fingers skimmed over my bra, and a moment of clarity hit me. No matter how cool he played it, we were both equally invested in this, and even though I might let him call the shots, I still had a lot of the power. I’d never explored this dynamic before, never had a partner who showed any interest, but between me and Cole, it seemed entirely natural.
When all the buttons were undone, my fingers found the edges of each side and slowly, inch by inch, I pulled them apart, revealing my white, lacy bra to him. My breath had grown so short that my chest heaved more than usual, moving up and down with each intake and exhale, but I had a feeling he didn’t mind. He also seemed to be having a little trouble catching his breath.
Pulling the blouse down my arms, I let it fall to the floor, the silky white fabric pooling at my feet. My nipples were already hard against the fabric of my bra and they seemed to grow even harder as his eyes moved over me. When he looked up at my face, I had to bite my lip to keep from moaning at the stormy look I could see in his eyes. No one had ever looked at me that way before.
“Keep going.” His voice sounded hoarser than it had been, but still as commanding and dominant.
