Watch Me Read online

  I looked over to Anne. Ever since she’d come back from the ladies room she’d been acting differently. Did it have to do with her sister, or something else? I had every intention of finding out the moment we left, and it couldn’t be soon enough. With every run of Liam’s fingers through his shoulder length blond hair and his constant glancing at Anne when he did it, my monster itched to unleash. His hook-up with Nancy was nothing but a reason to get closer to my girl.

  I took a bite of the grilled chicken I’d ordered and leaned back in my chair. I couldn’t stomach another bite. Plus, I wanted to move in closer to Anne. Show him who she belonged to.

  “Nice necklace,” Nancy said in a low voice.

  Anne paused from bringing the glass to her mouth. “Thank you, Michael gave it to me.

  Nancy’s eyes came to mine. There was no more yearning. If anything, her pouty lower lip and creased brow told me she was sad. “Very nice,” she said, lowly.

  “Thank you.” My arm settled around Anne’s shoulder. “My Anne deserves the best.” Although I was addressing Nancy, my attention came back to Liam, who glanced at me, but didn’t hold eye contact. “So, how long have you two been together?”

  Red hair fell over her shoulder as she turned to look at Liam. “Well, I guess you could say since the night of the wedding. We hung out after the reception and have pretty much been seeing each other off and on since.”

  “Nice.” He looked up at me and I narrowed my eyes. “I think you’re both a great match. You should probably stick with her, Liam.”

  “Yeah, well, we’ll see how it goes. Right now we’re just friends, but something may grow over time. You never know.”

  Nancy’s eyebrows drew in and she looked down at her plate. Sarah shifted beside her and a silence took over until Anne broke it. “It was great meeting with all of you today, but Michael and I need to get going.”

  “Me too,” Nancy said, standing.

  The waitress came up and I grabbed the ticket, handing her my card. Anne kissed my cheek and I waved off the thank yous from her family. I didn’t even address the asshole sitting in front of me. Nancy appeared crushed, and although I didn’t like her, it pissed me off that he’d use her to get closer to Anne. But, not for long. Liam and I would have a little talk real soon. Just the two of us. I’d make sure of it.

  I took back my card, sliding it in my wallet. As I stood, I took Anne’s hand firmly in mine. It didn’t take her long to say her goodbyes and I didn’t miss the look her sister threw her, either. What in the hell was going on?

  We walked further down the road where I had my car parked and the moment we were inside and pulling into traffic, I turned to her. “What is it?” The daze she was in didn’t escape my notice. “You’re upset. You were different after talking with Cassandra. What’d she tell you?”

  Anne glanced over, but turned back to the window. “Nothing. She’s just trying to adjust to married life. That’s all.”

  My lips pressed together at her tone. I wasn’t sure she was telling me the entire truth. “And that’s why you’re upset?”

  “Sir, my sister’s not okay. Of course that makes me concerned for her.”

  “Yeah, I guess. Just seemed like something else.” I rounded the block and drove into the garage. The elevator ride up, I held her, noticing something still didn’t seem right. As we entered into the living area, I led her to the sofa. Anne’s eyes searched mine and I knew she was keeping something from me. It was like a punch in the gut.

  “We’ve been together for a month. Not officially, but I can’t help but ask.” Anne clasped her hands in front of her. “Where do you see us going?”

  Well, that wasn’t where I thought our conversation was headed. Was that what she was hiding? Her insecurities? If her sister was having problems so newly married, I could see how that’d spark concern revolving our relationship.

  I pulled her into my lap and rested back against the cushions. “I see us together for many years to come. Even longer. From the first day, I thought I made my intentions clear.”

  Anne pulled off the cardigan and turned, straddling me. “You did, but I feel like although we know each other, we really don’t. Do you know what I mean? For instance,” she said, swallowing hard, “you told me about your childhood, but what about after you graduated college? Or have you ever gotten close to getting married? Ever thought of kids? What’s the most serious relationship you’ve ever had?”

  I pulled at my tie, feeling myself break out into an instant sweat. The stuff I’d already shared with Anne felt like enough at the time, but there was more she needed to know. My past wasn’t something I loved revisiting, but she deserved a better insight into what I’d been through. What I wanted.

  “Wow, okay.” I lifted her, stood, and walked over to pour a glass of brandy. “I knew this conversation was coming, so let’s throw everything out on the table. Both of us.”

  Anne nodded, appearing nervous. She came over and pulled a glass down, making her own drink. My eyes widened. I hadn’t seen her drink since the reception. Even when I ordered wine for her at dinner, she always opted for the water.

  “I like that idea. Both of us will come clean.”

  “Come clean?” She didn’t say anything. I studied her, not sure what she meant. The deeper rise and fall of her chest made me nervous. Her lips parted as she breathed past them. Had Anne been hiding something from me this entire time? I was ready to push her over the bar and spank her until she told me everything.

  We walked back over to the sofa and sat down, facing each other.

  “You first,” Anne said, sipping the amber liquid in her glass. “Start after college and we’ll go from there.”

  I nodded, pulling off my jacket. As I took off the cuffs and began rolling up my sleeves, I let the memories wash over me like a tidal wave of black death. Fuck, I couldn’t stand revisiting my past.

  “I graduated college…barely. I worked three jobs and tried my best to keep my brother out of trouble through his teenage years. Not an easy task. Anthony’s a lot like me. He has…a temper.” She stiffened. “It took me a while to learn to control mine. I used to fight at night when I wasn’t working. Underground fights. Illegal, I might add.”

  Anne’s eyebrows drew in, more worry filling her face, “You didn’t kill anyone, did you?”

  “Came close once, but no. Broke tons of noses. Cracked a man’s jaw, but no one died at my hand.”

  She nodded, getting quiet again.

  “After a year or so of doing that, I said enough. I wanted more out of life. Busted my ass and got lucky when a company picked me up. I was a slave to them for a few years, working my way to the top, saving every penny I could. When I wasn’t focused on my current project, I was learning everything I could about business. The market was my best friend. I have a way with investing. It paid off, allowed me to make it to where I am today.”

  “The stock market made you your money?”

  “Yes, at the beginning. When I had enough to start my own business, luck once again was at my side. My business life flourished. Not so much my personal life.”

  Anne looked down at the glass she cradled. “How did that play out?”

  I shrugged. “Not too well. I dated off and on throughout those years. Nothing serious. Most women couldn’t handle what I hold inside.” She looked up at me. “But then came the money, and with it, the tolerance grew. They took more, and were desperate for me to keep them around. I didn’t. End of story.”

  A deep breath raised Anne’s chest and her features hardened. “I see.”

  “What about you?” The coldness emanating from her when she looked back up was indescribable. It riled my beast, yet crushed the man in me. “Wait…you’re looking to hear something in particular. What, Anne? Just ask me.”

  A war of what looked to be anger and pain battled across her face. “You can’t just leave it at that. You’re not telling me something. I can feel it. You’re leaving out a big piece. You said we were going to
be honest. I’m waiting.”

  “I am being honest. There were women, yes. Some I dated a few days. Others a few weeks. It didn’t take me long to see that they were after my money.”

  “So, you’re saying the longest relationship you were in was a few weeks?”

  I finished off my brandy. “No. I dated a woman for almost a year. Natasha Yardly. I thought she was different. She was in the beginning, but she kept trying to push me into marriage. At the time, I wasn’t ready. We had a pretty ugly break-up.”

  The anger left in a rush of her exhale. Her shoulders sagged and she nodded. “What happened?”

  Fuck, I didn’t want to talk about this. “She called me a lot of vile names when I told her I wouldn’t marry her. Said I was sick because of my needs. I showed her the door and never looked back. Buried myself in work. Her words screwed up my head for a while.” I laughed under my breath. “Well, until I met you, actually. But, don’t you see, Anne? I may be sick in other people’s eyes, but it’s all about finding someone who’s on your level. You’re perfect for me. We want the same things. You’re the masochist to my sadist. My other half. If I hadn’t found you, I don’t want to imagine how many more years I would have held myself up in here, focusing on nothing but my next project. We complete each other. It doesn’t get better than that.”

  She nodded, still keeping quiet.

  “Come here.” I took the brandy out of her hand and placed it on the table, pulling her back in my lap. “You have nothing to worry about concerning my past. No one had me like you do.”

  That seemed to grab her attention. “Did you hurt her, too?”

  I leaned back, cradling her in my arms. “Not like I do you. She couldn’t take getting spanked, more or less anything else. You’re the only one I’ve let see what I truly hold inside.” Her weight curled into me and I basked in it. Although I hadn’t liked the thought of talking about Natasha, a part of me felt relieved that I’d gotten it over with and told Anne the truth.

  “Now, you. Why don’t you skip everything and tell me how you met that bastard, Liam.”

  A groan came from her so deep it vibrated the pit of my stomach. “He was playing a club downtown. It was my birthday and the girls took me out to celebrate. After a few drinks, they convinced me to dance. I was wasted and past the point of caring what a fool I’d look like, which is exactly what had caught Liam’s attention. He used to tease me about it all the time. Anyway, it wasn’t serious at the beginning. We met a few times for dinner, maybe twice a week. Then, he started coming around a lot more. We dated for almost six months before I knew something wasn’t right. I think he probably cheated on me the whole time, but I never had proof.”

  “Did the two of you ever live together?” My heart was already racing. I knew I shouldn’t ask the questions racing through my mind, but I couldn’t help it. Now that we’d started this conversation, I wanted to know every little detail.

  “God, no. I’ve always had trust issues. I had them with him a lot. Probably because every time I had to go watch him play I saw the girls practically crawl all over him. After a while, I just stopped going. We pretty much drifted a part way before I officially broke up with him.”

  My eyes traveled around the room, trying to piece everything together. Something wasn’t adding up. “If you two weren’t serious at the end, why is he so focused on getting you back now?”

  Anne sat up. Her mouth opened, and then shut.

  “You want to tell me something, but you’re deciding against it.”

  With a quick movement, she reached forward, taking the brandy and finishing it off. As she turned back toward me, I watched her eyes flare, fear edging in. “I’m hiding something from you.”

  I felt my eyebrows raise in surprise even though I had suspected it. “Hiding something?” The confirmation had rage setting in and I spun her more in my direction. “Something, or someone?”

  “Someone?” she bit out. “That’s just a stupid question. I said something. If I was seeing someone behind your back, I sure as hell wouldn’t be leading you on. We agreed to be honest about that part of our relationship from the beginning. I’m not the cheating kind, Sir. I thought you knew that.”

  Of course I did. That’s why the thought had never occurred to me before that moment. But, I never thought she’d hide anything from me either. “What is it?”

  Anne crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not so sure I want to tell you now.”

  I grabbed the pearls, pulling her face closer to mine. “You’ll tell me, or I’ll spend the rest of the day and all night making you.” The challenge was there, so clear on her face. She wouldn’t make this easy on me. Anne was ready to fight, and the beast inside had his claws bared, ready to tear into her flesh. “So be it.” I jerked at the top of the sundress, breaking the spaghetti straps loose and exposing her full breasts. My other hand still had a firm grip on the pearls and I twisted the length making it tighter around her neck. A cry, broken up from her lack of oxygen, sounded as I pinched her nipple, rolling it between my fingers.

  “You ready to tell me?”

  The edge of her mouth lifted into a smile and I knew that look. It was mine.

  Curls bounced on the cushion as I slammed her down and pushed my weight into her. She took a deep breath and I locked onto her jaw while I held her hands above her head. “Is this secret going to affect our relationship?”

  Anne kept quiet, causing the fear in me to escalate. I let go of her face and unfastened my belt, pulling it free from the loops. “Answer. Does this secret jeopardize what we share?”

  Nothing.

  I rose to my knees, flipping her on her stomach and pulling her hips up so her ass was in the air and her head was still resting down. Not once did she try to flee. She wanted this. Wanted to be hurt. In one tug, I brought her panties down and moved back enough to bring the belt across her bare ass. The sound of her sucking in air echoed through the room, only to be followed with a deep moan.

  “Sir, I know you can do better than that.”

  My eyes widened, but I stayed in control and let her have it again. This time, with more force. “You aren’t allowed to tell me how hard to hit you.” I gripped her ass, massaging the bright red, welted skin. Even though she knew better, Anne pushed back into my touch. I brought the belt down on the other cheek causing her to jump. “Oh yeah, you felt that one, didn’t you, doll?”

  “Yes, Sir.” Her voice was shaky and I knew she was on the verge of tears. But, that’s where she liked to be, and I was all too happy to bring her there. It made kissing the saltiness away that much more gratifying. To know that I brought her to the one place we both longed to be.

  Wetness glistened along her slit and I reached forward, rubbing it into her folds. Fuck, she was so turned on. It made my adrenaline soar. Had my heart beating so hard that it wouldn’t have surprised me if the damn thing ruptured inside my chest.

  I reared back and spanked her one more time. The impact was followed by a sob and then a growl. “Fuck,” she sniffled. Anne moved back again and I buried my face into her pussy, dying to taste what I was doing to her. Me. The sick, twisted monster. The one who’d supposedly never find anyone. But, I had. Regardless of what Natasha said, I had Anne. Forever.

  “Yes,” she moaned. “God, yes.”

  My fingers gripped her hips, holding her still while I pushed the tip of my tongue deep into her. In and out, I thrust, sucking her folds into my mouth before I dipped down to tease her clit. Continuous sounds left her lips while I ravaged her pussy. My teeth gently pulled, nibbling just outside of the sensitive bud. Anne’s hands flew back, reaching for me.

  “No. I will not hold your hand like I usually do. Not until you tell me your secret.” She slammed her palm down against the leather in front of her and groaned.

  “I’m not ready to tell you.”

  I clenched my jaw and leaned forward, making her sit and face me. My hand locked on the pearls again. “You don’t want your secret leaving your mout
h? Here, let me give you a real reason not to speak.” I jerked my pants open, letting my length spring free. I tugged her down by the quarter of a million dollars I had gripped in my fist until she rested on all fours. “You better swallow that cock just as deep as you keep burying your omissions. I want to be so far down your throat that you’ll think twice before hiding something from me again.”

  Anne tried to look up, but I gripped hair with my other hand and held her down. “If you’re not telling me what I want to hear, then you don’t speak. Now, fuck my cock with your mouth and don’t you stop until I tell you to.”

  The moment her lips encased my thick tip, I closed my eyes and leaned my head back. God, she was amazing with her tongue. I knew what to expect, and yet, she still surprised me with her talents.

  In a slow, circular motion, she swirled around the top, and then licked down my length in one long, drawn out movement. She continued until she had me nice and wet. Her mouth opened wide and she took me in, inch by inch, so torturously unhurried that I was clenching my hands tighter than I realized. I eased my grip on the necklace, letting her breathe, but remained locked on her hair.

  “Fuck…” I eased her down, making more of my cock disappear behind her lips. Suction drew me in and the room swayed at the ecstasy that exploded within. Possessiveness ripped through me as I opened my eyes and watched her head lift, only to descend again and take me deeper. With each bob of her head, she damn near killed me with pleasure. My balls drew up and I jerked at the pearls, bringing her head up. “Are you ready to tell me?”

  The swollenness of her lips begged for me to kiss them, but I wouldn’t.

  “No. I don’t think I’m going to yet. Maybe not for another month or two.”

  My mouth opened and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. She was serious. This wasn’t a game she was playing. She might have been enjoying what we were doing, but she really didn’t have plans to tell me. How could she hide something from me? I hadn’t once concealed anything from her. Well, I had neglected to tell her about Natasha sooner, but she hadn’t divulged the information on Liam either.