her next breath.
It had been a relief to confide in Lana, to have a friend to share things with. Vivienne didn’t feel so alone. The conversation had bolstered her strength, and she looked forward to seeing Jacob. Although it was disheartening that it was a nearly a week away.
Chapter 2
The flight home had been agonizing for Jacob. He’d held back, not wanting to give Vivienne the wrong impression. Disabusing her of the idea that romance wasn’t part of the deal was difficult. Holding his ground was a bit like standing in quicksand.
Jacob intended to maintain control, stick to the principles that had served him well, and with another woman it would have gone smoothly. But not with Vivienne. She did something to him, which he found unsettling.
The night before they left Provence, Jacob had held her in his arms. He had been awake for hours, smelling the scent of perfume in her hair and listening to her steady breathing. Vivienne felt good in his bed, and in his arms, so much so that he couldn’t get her out of his mind.
On the plane, Jacob directed his attention to business. Since he’d spent a couple of days with Vivienne, emails and business tasks had piled up. He would have gladly turned off his computer, blocked out the rest of the world, and taken the woman he craved to his bed.
The long flight would have been much better spent with Vivienne naked in his arms, but he forced himself to resist. She needed to acclimate to the playroom, and a sensual interlude would have encouraged her in the wrong direction. To teach her that he was in charge, Jacob had to restrict when and where sex play took place.
Vivienne would only learn that their activities were confined to the playroom if Jacob held to those terms. He couldn’t expect to train her if he wavered on the rules. Yet that didn’t stop him from wanting her, which he had for every torturous minute of the flight. Confined on a private jet with Vivienne near, feeling her warmth and smelling her feminine scent, Jacob nearly gave in.
It had been even worse when Jacob dropped her off. He’d walked Vivienne to her door, tempted to go in with her. Or better yet, cave to his powerful urges and take her home with him. But he steeled his heart and maintained what composure he could. At the last moment he’d spoken her name, nearly giving in.
Vivienne had sensed it, and fallen into his arms one more time. There in the hallway, Jacob had almost scooped her up and carried her back to the car. Now he wondered if that wouldn’t have been the best thing to do.
Jacob got in late, and when he entered the penthouse it was too quiet. Emptiness greeted him, allowing gloom to settle in. A shot of whiskey did little to improve his mood. Alone in his bed, darkness consumed him from the inside, and he was unable to block it out.
During a fitful sleep, the horrific dreams he often experienced returned. Jacob tossed and turned, waking in a sweat. Fleeting images, a kaleidoscope of memories from the past, lingered. And a familiar bark of a voice sounded, as if from inside his head: Come here right now, Jacob .
With his heart pounding, Jacob reached for the light. Yet even in the brightness, the feelings refused to go. After pacing the floor, clawing his way back to reality, Jacob attempted sleep once again. Alone, and in the dark, he thought of Vivienne.
The night he’d held her, Jacob had slept, dreamless and peaceful. Vivienne was a comfort, yet he dared not allow himself that luxury. He had to be strong, guide her, and teach her. And keep her away from the darkness.
After a few more hours of sleep, Jacob woke to the sun on his window, and immediately got out of bed. A cup of espresso got his blood pumping, then he dressed for jogging. A long run would invigorate him, and give him a chance to refocus on business.
Outdoors, the sun was warm and the sky exceptionally blue. Jacob took a deep breath and started on one of his usual routes. As he ran, his muscles came to
It had been a relief to confide in Lana, to have a friend to share things with. Vivienne didn’t feel so alone. The conversation had bolstered her strength, and she looked forward to seeing Jacob. Although it was disheartening that it was a nearly a week away.
Chapter 2
The flight home had been agonizing for Jacob. He’d held back, not wanting to give Vivienne the wrong impression. Disabusing her of the idea that romance wasn’t part of the deal was difficult. Holding his ground was a bit like standing in quicksand.
Jacob intended to maintain control, stick to the principles that had served him well, and with another woman it would have gone smoothly. But not with Vivienne. She did something to him, which he found unsettling.
The night before they left Provence, Jacob had held her in his arms. He had been awake for hours, smelling the scent of perfume in her hair and listening to her steady breathing. Vivienne felt good in his bed, and in his arms, so much so that he couldn’t get her out of his mind.
On the plane, Jacob directed his attention to business. Since he’d spent a couple of days with Vivienne, emails and business tasks had piled up. He would have gladly turned off his computer, blocked out the rest of the world, and taken the woman he craved to his bed.
The long flight would have been much better spent with Vivienne naked in his arms, but he forced himself to resist. She needed to acclimate to the playroom, and a sensual interlude would have encouraged her in the wrong direction. To teach her that he was in charge, Jacob had to restrict when and where sex play took place.
Vivienne would only learn that their activities were confined to the playroom if Jacob held to those terms. He couldn’t expect to train her if he wavered on the rules. Yet that didn’t stop him from wanting her, which he had for every torturous minute of the flight. Confined on a private jet with Vivienne near, feeling her warmth and smelling her feminine scent, Jacob nearly gave in.
It had been even worse when Jacob dropped her off. He’d walked Vivienne to her door, tempted to go in with her. Or better yet, cave to his powerful urges and take her home with him. But he steeled his heart and maintained what composure he could. At the last moment he’d spoken her name, nearly giving in.
Vivienne had sensed it, and fallen into his arms one more time. There in the hallway, Jacob had almost scooped her up and carried her back to the car. Now he wondered if that wouldn’t have been the best thing to do.
Jacob got in late, and when he entered the penthouse it was too quiet. Emptiness greeted him, allowing gloom to settle in. A shot of whiskey did little to improve his mood. Alone in his bed, darkness consumed him from the inside, and he was unable to block it out.
During a fitful sleep, the horrific dreams he often experienced returned. Jacob tossed and turned, waking in a sweat. Fleeting images, a kaleidoscope of memories from the past, lingered. And a familiar bark of a voice sounded, as if from inside his head: Come here right now, Jacob .
With his heart pounding, Jacob reached for the light. Yet even in the brightness, the feelings refused to go. After pacing the floor, clawing his way back to reality, Jacob attempted sleep once again. Alone, and in the dark, he thought of Vivienne.
The night he’d held her, Jacob had slept, dreamless and peaceful. Vivienne was a comfort, yet he dared not allow himself that luxury. He had to be strong, guide her, and teach her. And keep her away from the darkness.
After a few more hours of sleep, Jacob woke to the sun on his window, and immediately got out of bed. A cup of espresso got his blood pumping, then he dressed for jogging. A long run would invigorate him, and give him a chance to refocus on business.
Outdoors, the sun was warm and the sky exceptionally blue. Jacob took a deep breath and started on one of his usual routes. As he ran, his muscles came to
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