you, when you could have anyone, and I really ought to change if we’re going to your sister’s, because this is just—”
“Perfect, as are you.” Her mouth dropped open at his forceful interruption of her, and when he quirked his eyebrow at her, she lowered her gaze to his collarbone and went very still.
“If I wanted a model type stick insect, I’d have made arrangements to be with one, but, contrary to what you might have read about me in the papers, I’m not that shallow. They make good arm candy at the functions, but that’s all. I want someone real, and I wouldn’t dream of taking one of those women to meet the only family I have left. My sister will love you once she’s got over her surprise, and besides we won’t be staying long.”
He smiled when she sought his gaze, clearly startled by what he’d said.
Which was why he had to rattle her some more.
“There’s a flogger with your name on it waiting at my house, girl, and once I’ve got you tied up and naked, you’ll be paying for those assumptions of yours.”
She gasped, not in outrage, but delight, if the surreptitious way she was squeezing her thighs together was any indication.
He put his hand on her knee and clucked his tongue.
“And you’ve just added another few strikes to that tally. You’ve agreed to be mine, have you not?”
He nudged her chin up with his free hand to read her expression, and the naked yearning he read in the ever darkening green spheres meant his dick wouldn’t stand any chance of going down anytime soon. If they had more time, he’d order her to go down on him right now, and fuck the public display. He owned this fucking building, after all, but his phone vibrated again with another text, and he let her go.
Not before she nodded her acquiescence.
“I need to hear you say it, girl,” he said.
“Yes, Sir, I’m yours, but I feel bad I didn’t know about your birthday. I’d at least have a card for you or something.”
Richard grinned, and starting the engine, pulled out of his designated parking slot and up the ramp into the London traffic. Fortunately, the rush hour was behind them now, or it would take even longer to get to his sister. At least she only lived a few streets away from him in Holland Park, so once he’d fulfilled his duty, and let her fuss over him, it wouldn’t take long to get his girl back to his place and naked.
“I’ll take the or something,” he said and winked at the astonished beauty in his passenger seat. “Namely your submission as my birthday gift.”
A nervous giggle escaped Jolie, before she bowed her head.
“Well, in that case, Happy Birthday, Sir.”
Chapter Three
As they pulled up outside the impressive red brick building, which seemingly was his sister’s house, Jolie had reason to wonder at her sanity. If she needed any more proof as to how out of her depth she was here, she only had to look at the cars on the drive. A sleek Jaguar sat next to a more modest MPV. The child’s car seat inside that vehicle, at least, made her feel slightly better. This was Holland Park, for Pete’s sake, as far removed from her tiny ex-council flat in Tottenham as it was possible to be. Not that she had much time to ponder all this, because, no sooner had Richard shut off the engine, than the front door flew open. A silver haired giant of a man appeared in the doorway, and Jolie swallowed nervously when his steel gray gaze zeroed in on her with a frown, before he smiled at Richard. She missed what the two men were saying to each other, as her legs didn’t seem to want to work, and it took her an extraordinarily long amount of time to get out of the car. By the time she finally managed it, the man she assumed to be her boss’s brother-in-law, laughed, slapped Richard on the shoulder, and gave him a shove inside.
“Go, get it over with, Rich. And for heaven’s sake act surprised, will you? Tiff is having kittens as it is, and I’ll be sleeping on the sofa for at