A/N: When I first started writing this, I decided to give myself permission to be as depraved and horny as I wanted. So, that's what's happening, folks! Enjoy! There's double smut in this chapter. I almost went for triple, but I don't wanna kill y'all.
I swear there's a plot to this book lol. I think you're going to like Wanda in this chapter.
Also, I don't know what it's like to eat at Providence in LA, because I'm a broke grad student who ate Doritos for dinner tonight. So, take it all with a grain of salt.
CW: Public sex, exhibition kink, daddy kink, praise kink, degradation kink, vibrating underwear (if you're my therapist you didn't see this, OR we will talk on monday), dirty talk, shower smut, oral sex (m and f receiving). The smut isn't in this order.
They walk and talk for at least an hour as the sun goes down. She learns a little about James, but it seems like he's pretty tight-lipped about a lot of his past. That's fine by her. Google will tell her everything she needs to know if he won't. Wanda was definitely googling him earlier today while they were watching TV. She kept trying to dig up dirt on him, but there wasn't much.
James tells Dahlia that he inherited his business from his father and saved it from bankruptcy. Dahlia had no idea. She walks by Barnes Tower pretty much every day of her life. It's just always been there. When James talks to her about the business, it's like he's speaking another language, but she likes the sound of his voice. She could listen to him talk about anything.
Once it gets dark and Dahlia begins to shiver as the wind hits her bare arms, James chuckles and kisses her softly.
"Let's go back inside."
He wraps an arm around her and kisses her just before they step back into the house. He pours them another glass of wine and sips it, leaning against the counter. Dahlia checks her phone. There are missed texts from Wanda.
[wands 🍃]: 25 THOUSAND DOLLARS?
[wands 🍃]: dahlia
[wands 🍃]: DAHLIA
[wands 🍃]: BRO
[wands 🍃]: 25? THOUSAND? IS THIS HAPPENING?
She texts her back.
It's real. I'll fill you in tomorrow. Staying with James tonight.
[wands 🍃]: are you getting dick? Right now? Tell me. Voice memo?
GO AWAY WEIRDO!
[wands 🍃]: YOU GO AWAY. ACTUALLY WAIT. can I eat the ice cream in the freezer?
Knock yourself out.
[wands 🍃]: ily. Enjoy your penis, don't die, and i'll see you at work tomorrow. How are you getting to work btw?
He's driving me 🥰
[wands 🍃]: AHHHHHHH!!!!
Dahlia laughs.
"Sorry. Just letting Wanda know where I am."
"Don't apologize," he says softly as she tucks her phone back into her bag. "I'll show you where Rebecca's stuff is and then where we'll be sleeping."
"We?" She asks.
James looks over his shoulder and raises a brow as he closes the kitchen door to keep Alpine out. She has a feeling she offended him. She was just surprised, is all. She's never been in this kind of situation before – she's slept over at a guy's house on the first date, but this is definitely nothing like those nights where she mostly laid awake in a twin bed while a guy she didn't even really like snored beside her.
"Unless you want to sleep alone?" James announces.
"No," she whispers.
That smile kills her every time.
"Good, because you'd be breakin' my heart if you said yes."
She gets butterflies and her face heats up. James sticks out his hand and Dahlia's fingers slide against his.
"Come on."
He leads her up the gigantic spiral staircase and to a large room near the back of the house. It's beautiful. There's a king sized bed with light pink and white floral fabric, a beautiful hardwood floor, plants hanging from the ceiling (Dahlia assumes so that Alpine can't eat them), a large dresser, and a walk-in closet filled to the brim with clothes, shoes, bags, hats, and pretty much anything else a person could want.
"Rebecca doesn't exactly have your taste in clothes, but I'm sure you can find something for tomorrow." He grabs a pair of silk pajamas from a drawer. He gently takes the tags off of them. "She bought these at an airport in Milan and never wore them, so they can be yours when you stay here."
"As in, stay here again?" She asks meekly. "You want me to stay here again?"
He wraps an arm around her waist and nuzzles his nose against her cheekbone. She sighs contentedly.
"Dahlia, you have to accept the fact that I want you."
"I think I can do that."
"You're free to take whatever you need from Rebecca's room. She's generous, and she won't mind at all. Here, I'll show you my bedroom."
He tucks her pajamas underneath his arm and leads her up another set of stairs. Up here, there's a large bedroom, a bathroom, and a home gym that Dahlia cranes her neck to peek into. It's the same one from the picture he sent her, and it looks like it has everything. Dahlia mostly just jogs, but she thinks she wouldn't mind waking up and padding to the gym to see James dripping in sweat while he lifted weights or let loose on a punching bag.
She's still a little caught up in the fantasy when he leads her to his bedroom. It's dimly lit and beautiful, with one dark blue wall behind his bed. The rest is painted a kind of pretty slate grey and his bed is a sea of deep ocean blue with white pillows. James seems to be a fan of only a few colors, whereas Dahlia's room looks like someone threw 14 different cans of paint on the walls and called it a day. She and Wanda fought over what they like to call the "Jackson Pollock" room, but Dahlia won in a coin toss. Wanda was pissed and ended up getting stoned and painting a huge mural behind her bed.
James observes her as she looks around. He sets his wine glass down on the dresser and takes Dahlia's from her as she realizes that she probably gets to fuck one of the richest guys in LA in this room. Wanda is going to be so proud.
She glances up. There's a ceiling fan that looks more like a fancy chandelier hanging above the bed. The walls are adorned with black and white photos, mostly abstract art - hands, oil slicks, and strange patterns. They're nice. She just has movie posters on her walls. In comparison to this, her place is starting to feel like a college dorm room.
Despite James's choice in paint and the sheer size of the room (it's bigger than her entire apartment), it's calming and cozy. There are bookshelves, a large chair near the window so that he can read, a desk that's neatly organized and tidy, and a large antique dresser adorned with colognes, jewelry (rings and watches, mostly), and some grooming supplies.
"Wow," she breathes. "This is gorgeous."
"Thank you." He begins to unbutton his dress shirt and Dahlia's jaw drops. She looks away and hears him laugh.
"What are you doing?"
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to take a shower," he tells her. "I always take one before bed."
Dahlia looks at the clock on the wall as James abandons his dress shirt and tosses it in the laundry hamper. He has an undershirt on, but his arms are now bare. He's muscular with gorgeous skin. It's 11:00. Sunset was at 9:30.
"I can wait here."
He puts his finger underneath her chin and tilts her head upward.
"Do you want to have one with me?"
His voice is so soft that she can't help the little whimper that bubbles up from her throat.
"That sounds like we're going to have sex."
He shakes his head.
"I think you underestimate my ability to control myself. I told you I was going to wait to fuck you." He licks his lips. "But I'd like to see what's underneath those clothes."
They stare at each other, their eyes communicating more than Dahlia can even begin to process. His burn into hers, flaring with lust, and his jaw becomes kissed with a pink flush beneath his stubble. Her heart is beating so fast and her mouth is dry.
"Fuck it," Dahlia whispers, flinging her arms around his neck and letting her lips crash against his. James laughs softly, kissing her back with even more passion and desperation than she thought was possible.
She wants him. Tonight has proven that to her time and time again. In one motion, James picks her up off the ground, his hands grabbing her thighs as they wrap around his waist. Their mouths remain connected as he carries her to the bathroom, kicking the door shut behind him and slamming her up against it. She grunts as her body crashes into it. James isn't delicate or careful with her this time. His lips drift up and down her neck, biting hard and sucking hickeys onto her skin, marking her as his. Dahlia realizes she hasn't even taken her shoes off.
"You can't make me crazy like that, Dahlia," he growls. "You're gonna make me do something I don't think you're ready for yet."
She moans, her head rolling to the side.
"I'm ready."
"No, you're not," he chuckles as he kisses her again.
"Tell me, James."
Her plea dies on her lips. James breaks the kiss and sets her down on the ground, cupping her face in his hands.
"We'll get there. Trust me."
He picks her up again and carries her to a large granite counter, setting her down. He's strong. She likes it. James unties her shoelaces as he kicks his own shoes off and slides her foot out of her sneakers. He peels off her socks and pulls her tank top over her head, stepping back to admire her almost bare torso. His cock is hard, she can see it straining against his dress pants.
"God, you're gorgeous."
Dahlia wishes she had that glass of wine right about now.
"Thank you."
"No, thank you, doll." He grins. "Jump off the counter and strip for me."
She obeys, her body vibrating with adrenaline. Dahlia removes her bra, her jeans, and her panties, kicking them aside as her heart thuds violently. She swears James can hear it and she gulps. He runs a hand through his dark, fluffy hair and chuckles, shaking his head as a wolfish grin spreads across his face. His eyes dance up and down her body. She wants to fold her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling so vulnerable that she might cry. James seems to sense what she's feeling and slowly steps toward her, placing his hands on her waist. They're warm. She melts into him.
"Those pictures you post really don't do you justice."
He places the most tender kiss on her lips and pulls away, stepping back and peeling off his undershirt. His body still looks exactly like the picture he sent her. She can't stop staring at him as he unbuckles his belt, unzips his pants, and slides them off, along with his briefs. She spies the full deep v that his hipbones make, guiding her eyes down to his cock. He's huge. He's not fully hard, but he's almost there. He might have the most beautiful dick she's ever seen in person. Nice work, Mr. Barnes. You should be proud.
Dahlia gulps and bites her lip. James chuckles, stroking himself slowly until he's fully hard. It doesn't take very long. She steps toward him and goes to drop to her knees, but he catches her.
"What are you doing?"
"I wanna–"
"Why don't we start the shower?"
"Okay."
Does he not want to? He seemed really into her when he slammed her up against the wall. She feels a little embarrassed. James steps around her and starts the shower, letting the steam fill up the room a little bit. He steps inside and reaches for her.
"Come on, Dahlia. I don't bite."
"That's not true," she whispers.
He smirks.
"Yeah. You're right. I don't bite that hard."
"Just the right amount."
They step inside and his mouth is on hers again, his hands gliding up and down her waist. He ignores her breasts, preferring to place his hands on her lower back and pull her flush toward him. His cock presses against her and she feels it pulse. Her cunt aches already, and she has to resist the urge to snake her leg around his waist in a desperate attempt to get him to fuck her.
Dahlia's stomach floods with butterflies as their lips glide against each other. The shower beats against her back and warm water cascades all down her body. The curls in her hair slowly begin to wilt and she whimpers. James backs them up and breaks the kiss. He leans up against the shower wall, eyeing her like a predator. His cock is fisted in his hand and he uses long, slow strokes as he drinks her in.
"I'm feeling a little selfish, Dahlia," he says through a breathy groan. His voice is husky, almost like he's just woken up. Her throat feels tight.
"You are?"
"I am." His eyes land on her thighs. "I keep wondering what that pussy tastes like."
She can't help but lift her hand to cover her mouth. James grins.
"Does that embarrass you?"
"I've never been talked to like this before," she confesses as he steps toward her and grabs her shoulders, spinning her around and putting her in his place against the shower wall.
James drops to his knees and looks up at her, his blue eyes twinkling.
"I never did get to eat dessert."
Her hand clamps over her mouth as he grabs one of her legs and slings it over his shoulder, his mouth attacking her pussy. His tongue glides over her clit and he moans. Loudly. Dahlia moans back. This man knows exactly what he's doing. His movements never become predictable. Dahlia is clawing at the tile behind her, her body shaking as she tries to hold herself up. His large hands wrap around her waist and anchor her there.
Dahlia tentatively reaches down and gently winds his hair around her fingers. James purrs like a cat, sending the vibrations all the way down to her toes. He flattens his tongue out and then circles his tongue around her clit, but never touches it, working her into a frenzy until she's crying out, her voice raw and ragged. Then, he slips two fingers inside of her cunt and sucks on her clit, fucking her slowly as he curls his fingers inside of her. Her body freezes as a jolt of electricity runs through her. She yelps and squeaks. James looks up at her.
"Fuck my face, sweetheart," he whispers. "I know you wanna do it, Dahlia. I can see the look in your eyes."
She nods and James smirks.
"There's my good girl."
He gets back to work, and Dahlia begins to move her hips against his mouth as he sucks on her clit, eating her like the best meal of his life. She tugs on his hair a little harder, beads of sweat forming on her hairline. She's getting closer and closer, eventually tumbling over the edge as her nerves crackle and she shudders and trembles against him, a low whine echoing through the shower.
"Oh my God!"
He fucks her through it, removing his fingers and lapping slowly at her dripping cunt. Dahlia hears the filthiest sounds coming from his throat and once she's come down, he gets to his feet. He grabs her hair and pulls her head back. She whimpers.
"Now you can suck my cock," he growls.
Shakily, he guides her to her knees, his cock bobbing in front of her face. She grabs it, squeezing gently and James lets out a low growl, his hand slamming against the tile. His hips jerk and she takes a moment to feel pride bloom in her chest.
A bead of precum oozes from the tip of his cock and she laps at it like a kitten just to hear him exhale softly. She wants to tease him a little, but James refuses to give her an ounce of control. Even when her leg was slung over his shoulder and he was on his knees, he had all the power.
He fists both hands in her hair and guides her down his shaft until her nose touches his pelvis and he's all the way down her throat. She feels coarse hair graze her skin. He's fucking massive and thick and her jaw already begins to ache, but the fire in the pit of her stomach combined with the sounds he's making are heavenly. James purrs, his head thrown back as he begins to fuck her face.
"You can take it, sweetheart. Thaaaaaat's it, doll. Fuck just like that."
Dahlia chokes and gags.
"Breathe in through your nose," he orders.
She does and it gets a little easier, but there's drool leaking out the corners of her mouth, but she doesn't give a shit. He feels so good, thick and heavy in her mouth. She wants nothing more than to please him; to make him make more of those amazing sounds. His low, sweet moans make her pussy ache.
James pulls her back a little, giving her some time to breathe and collect herself before he pushes himself all the way down her throat again, his hips moving faster. She gets the hang of it this time, only choking once.
"God, so good, sweetheart. I knew you'd be good at this. Your mouth's so soft. Fuck, you look good on your knees for daddy. Don't you?"
She moans loudly in lieu of being able to form words. James yanks on her hair, pulling her off of his cock.
"Answer me, Dahlia," he growls.
She wants to tell him that she can't form words with his giant fucking dick shoved down her throat, but she has a feeling that might get her punished. Maybe that would be fun. Still, she doesn't know this guy well enough yet, even though he was literally in her throat not more than two seconds ago.
Spittle trickles from her lips and she smiles, her cunt throbbing with need.
"Yes, sir."
"That's a good girl."
She opens her mouth again and tries to go back to wrapping her lips around him and making him come, but James has other ideas.
"But I–"
"I don't wanna come until I'm buried in that sweet little pussy, Dahlia. I'm gonna make you scream when I fill you up."
His cock is angry and red, bobbing in front of her face. She licks her lips, wanting so badly to please him. Dahlia has no idea where all of this is coming from, but that's an issue to unpack later. With Wanda. Or a therapist. But not face to face. Definitely via text.
"But–"
"Trust me, I excel at self-control. Stand up."
He helps her to her feet and kisses her, holding her face with both hands.
"You're good at that, by the way. One day, I'll let you finish me off."
"Thanks."
James washes her hair and her body, kissing up and down her neck. She can tell he's not quite as good at self-control as he claims to be when he lets his hands rest on her belly and presses his still hard cock against her ass as he kisses the side of her neck. She arches her back and pushes her ass against him. She's disciplined with a harsh smack to her ass.
"Watch it," he warns.
She giggles and feels him smile against her skin.
"You like that?"
"Yeah," she breathes. "I don't know why."
"There's freedom in it, isn't there? Being controlled like this."
"Yeah," Dahlia breathes. "A little."
That, and I'd just like to hear your voice drop a partial octave while you call me a whore and tell me how good I'm sucking your dick... Her eyes go wide as the thought rings through her brain and she blinks. God, what is wrong with me? I gotta call Wanda. Or a priest.
"I like you a lot, Dahlia. I feel like we're in sync."
She nods and smiles.
"I feel like that too."
🌺 🌺 🌺
"Okay, run me through this one more time. He's paying us 25 grand for three parties?" Wanda asks as she chews on a stir stick and holds her coffee in one hand.
They've spent the morning ordering flowers for James's fundraiser and now they're leaning up against the counter when they could be repricing the rest of the bouquets. Dahlia will get to it later. James will be upset, but what he doesn't know right now won't hurt him.
She woke up surprisingly refreshed. James was already awake when she first opened her eyes this morning. He brought her breakfast in bed at 7:00am and she raided his sister's wardrobe, managing to find a lavender sundress and a pair of cute sneakers to wear with it. Rebecca has good taste in clothes, but she wears a little too much black for Dahlia's taste. Dahlia did grab a cool black leather jacket to throw over her dress. She joked that she looked like a badass and James grinned, kissing the tip of her nose.
He dropped her off at 9:00am with the promise that someone would be at the shop at 4:00pm to give her an outfit, shoes, and some accessories to wear to dinner tonight. She's so nervous about dinner that it's hard to focus on anything else. When she told Wanda, she freaked out and they spent an hour looking at pictures of the inside of the restaurant.
"Yep. I cashed the check this morning. You'll get your half tomorrow."
"You're giving me half?"
"Well, yeah," Dahlia laughs. "You're my best friend and you do just as much work as I do."
Wanda runs over to hug her.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Okay, so what are these other parties?"
"This fundraiser thing, which we're both invited to."
"Good, I love free food," Wanda replies.
She laughs.
"And his friend's birthday, some Steve guy."
"Okay, I assume Steve guy has free food and booze too."
"Probably."
"God bless him. And God bless your new rich Mafia boyfriend."
"Wanda..." Dahlia warns.
"I'm joking, I'm joking!"
Dahlia rolls her eyes.
"Anyway, he hired us for a second fundraiser. And he'll pay for any expenses or party-related–"
The door opens and Peter walks through carrying two boxes with ribbons wrapped around them. Wanda's eyes go wide.
"Miss Davies? These are from Mr. Barnes for dinner tonight. He wanted me to tell you that I'll be at 6:00 when you close to pick you up."
"Oh, okay. Thanks, Peter," Dahlia replies, taking the boxes.
"I'll see you in two hours," Peter says softly. "Mr. Barnes also wanted me to tell you that he's really looking forward to dinner."
Her eyes go wide and Wanda makes a little "aww!" sound beside her.
"Well, you can tell him that I'm looking forward to it too."
She really is. Waking up next to James this morning felt right, so did eating breakfast in bed with him and kissing him even though she had morning breath.
"I will," Peter says with a sharp nod before ducking out of the shop.
Wanda flips the "Back in 5 Minutes" sign over and points at Dahlia's office.
"You know we have to open that shit."
"We totally do," Dahlia laughs.
They rush into her office and shut the door. Dahlia rips open the first large box, tossing the ribbon on the floor. It's Prada. She's never held anything this expensive in her life. Dahlia opens the box to reveal a cherry red off the shoulder dress. Her jaw drops and she looks up at Wanda.
"Holy fuck, Dahl."
"I know."
Wanda holds it up and presses it to Dahlia's body. The dress hits her mid thigh and it looks like it's going to hug every single curve on her body. James definitely knows what he wants.
"It's just slutty enough, but like classy slutty, you know?"
Dahlia bites her lip and looks up at her best friend.
"I kinda like it."
Wanda nods.
"Me too."
They open the second box. It's a pair of black high heels. Also Prada. They're fucking gorgeous. Dahlia's face is so hot, the blush creeping down the back of her neck. She rubs it and laughs.
"This is too much."
"Hey!" Wanda exclaims. "He obviously likes you."
"Yeah, or he's showing me off like some prize–"
Wanda smacks her.
"Don't talk about yourself like that, Dahl! You're beautiful! You're gonna wear the shit out of this dress and these shoes..." she grabs the set of white gold hoops and delicate necklace that glitters in the light. "And all of these things, and you're gonna go have dinner with that gorgeous, gorgeous man!"
Dahlia looks down at the box. The bottom is covered in tissue paper and there's a note sitting on top of it.
These are also for you. I have the part that makes them work.
JBB
Wanda and Dahlia exchange a puzzled glance, and Dahlia lifts up the tissue paper to reveal a set of lacy black underwear. She holds them up.
"What does he mean by the part that makes them work?"
"Uhhh..." Wanda holds up a small vibrator, her brows raised and her eyes bulging out of her head. "I have a feeling you were supposed to open this alone."
"Is that a fucking vibrator?"
Wanda nods.
"I think it goes in those." She points at the panties and Dahlia, sure enough, finds a spot for it to slide into. "Man, you got yourself a freaky rich boyfriend, huh?"
"I don't even know if he's my boyfriend." She sighs. "Wanda, I can't do this."
"What are you talking about?"
"This is so..."
"Hot?"
"Weird, Wanda!"
"You just spent the night at that dude's house, let him eat you out in the shower, call you a slut, and you think this is too far?! Dahlia, you're living every woman's dream right now. Maybe not the slut part, that's an acquired taste, but... are you crazy?!"
"I–"
"No! You always do this with guys. You get all freaked out and find something to drive you away from them. So this guy's a bit of... freak in bed. Who cares? From your stories, he seems to know what he's doing."
Dahlia takes a deep breath. She's lucky to have Wanda. She's so cool about this shit. Not much phases her.
"You're right. James is really sweet."
He is... in his own weird way. She gets flashes of just how powerful he is when he orders her around in the bedroom, and the way he walks into every room like he owns it. Dahlia has always envied that kind of power. It's something women rarely get a taste of, but men clutch it in their fists, terrified to let it go.
"Even if he's a bit of a weird sex pervert," Wanda finishes.
Dahlia arches an eyebrow.
"Or you're a prude."
Wanda cackles.
"There's my best friend!" She checks the time. "Go get ready, put that shit on, wear those vibrating panties, and go be a slut in a fancy restaurant!"
Dahlia sighs and grabs the boxes, rushing to the bathroom while Wanda re-opens the shop. It's not like anyone comes in between the time Dahlia starts to get ready and the time they actually close. As she examines herself in the mirror, her phone buzzes.
[James]: Did you get the gifts? I like you in red.
They're beautiful. Thank you.
[James]: You're very welcome. And what about my secret present?
Yes, I got your vibrating underwear.
[James]: Good. I have the remote. We're going to have a good time tonight, babydoll.
Her knees wobble and she giggles.
I've known you for like four days and you buy me vibrating underwear? That's bold, James.
[James]: I'm a bold man.
[James]: I want to watch you fall apart tonight, Dahlia.
She grins and sheds her clothes except for her bra, putting the vibrator in the crotch of the panties and sliding them on. Dahlia snaps a photo, making sure her hair is wild and unkempt. She bites her lip and squeezes her tits together, leaning over the sink a little. She sends it to James and waits.
[James]: Fucking brat. I'm in the middle of a meeting.
Awww, I thought you liked it when I was a bad girl.
[James]: You making me hard as a fucking rock when I'm supposed to be presenting about a budget is VERY bad, Dahlia.
She giggles and snaps another photo of her sucking on her index finger.
Sorry, daddy.
[James]: You'll be lucky if I don't bend you over my fucking knee in that restaurant and spank you until you scream. I'm going to have to jack off in my office. Do you have any idea how fucking humiliating that is?
Dahlia takes a deep breath, pulling herself back from the edge. She has to keep reminding herself that she barely knows this man, and yet she feels so fucking wild around him. And she's supposed to be working for him. This is strange and dangerous on so many levels, but she can't stop. In the short time that she's known James, he's cracked something open in her that she doesn't want to hold back.
What if I made it up to you tonight?
[James]: Oh, you will. I'll see you at dinner.
Two seconds later her phone dings again.
[James]: ❤️
She giggles and changes into her dinner outfit, deciding to leave her hair a little unkempt. Dahlia puts on a bit of makeup, some winged liner and the lipstick she wore the other night when she went to dinner with him the first time. He couldn't stop staring at her mouth. She liked the attention.
Wanda closes the shop early and they sit in her office until 6:00pm when her phone buzzes.
[Unknown Number]: It's Peter. I'm outside.
Dahlia's stomach knots, thinking about what awaits her when she steps out of the shop.
"Okay. I look okay?"
"You're a fucking babe, Dahl. If he doesn't date you, I'd like to throw my hat in the ring."
"Awww, Wands, you're already like my wife, though."
"Awww!"
They hug and Wanda walks her to the door, telling her she'll lock up for the night.
"Tell him to drive you home tonight. I can't wait until tomorrow morning to get the details!" Wanda calls.
"I will!"
Walking with vibrating underwear on is a weird experience. She feels like everyone knows, but she has to keep reminding herself that nobody can see up her dress. Dahlia opens the car door and climbs in the back seat.
"Evening, Peter."
"Good evening, Miss Davies! Ready to go?"
"Yep!"
He starts the car and drives toward the restaurant. Dahlia looks down at the floor and spots a large ring underneath the passenger seat. She reaches down and grabs it, holding it up to the light. It looks like a high school ring, like the ones football players get. Peter catches her staring at it in the rearview mirror and reaches back, snatching it from her fingers.
"Oh!" She squeaks. "Sorry, it was just on the ground."
"Mr. Barnes must have dropped it."
"Did he play football in high school?"
"Uh-huh," Peter replies. "Quarterback."
Dahlia shrugs. She doesn't know anything about football other than her knowledge of Super Bowl halftime shows. Peter tucks the ring in his pocket and pulls up to the restaurant. Dahlia's stomach knots.
"Peter?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think I look like I belong in that restaurant?"
Peter smiles.
"When you're with Mr. Barnes, that kind of stuff really doesn't matter," he says softly. "People will accept you. I speak from personal experience."
Dahlia smiles at him. He's so much younger than her – well, not really, maybe about three or four years, but there's a wisdom to him that she's never really seen until now. He gulps and runs a hand through his hair.
"You look really pretty, by the way. I wouldn't worry too much about what people think."
"Thanks, Peter."
"No problem. Have a nice time, Dahlia. Mr. Barnes is a good man."
"Thank you. I will."
She climbs out of the car and steps toward the restaurant. The host looks at her with some contempt and she plasters on her sweetest smile.
"I'm here to meet James Barnes."
"Oh!" He looks down at the list. "Dahlia Davies?"
She nods.
"That's me."
"Right this way, madam."
Madam? Okay, I can kinda get on board with this.
He leads her inside to a small, intimate table near the back of the restaurant where James is waiting for her. He's in a black suit with a white shirt and a dark red tie. His hair is slicked back and he shaved his beard down this morning, leaving just the faintest hint of stubble. She bites her lip as she approaches and he slides out of the booth. As he walks toward her, she sees his hand in his pocket, and then feels a soft, gentle vibration against her clit. Dahlia has to bite the inside of her cheek as the host points at the table and stands a few feet away. James approaches her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" She whispers as he kisses the shell of her ear and then her lips.
"It's like I told you, Dahlia. That little picture you sent me left me with a raging hard on that I had to take care of in my fucking office because all I could think about was burying my cock inside of you and making you mine."
He increases the vibration and walks her toward the table. Just as she's about to sit down, he turns it off. Thank God. She looks around to make sure that nobody saw what just happened. Nobody's paying them any attention. Even better.
"I ordered you wine," James offers.
Dahlia nods and James rests his chin on his hand.
"Aww, princess. You're flushed. Are you feeling okay?"
"Totally cool," Dahlia replies.
James moves to sit beside her in the L-shaped booth and wraps an arm around her shoulder.
"I ordered appetizers too. Oysters."
"Wanda says they're pretentious," she rasps as his hand glides up her leg.
"Mmm. She's right," he purrs. Dahlia flinches as his fingers glide beneath the fabric of her dress and she looks around. There are wait staff everywhere, some of them walking a little too close to their booth to Dahlia's liking.
"James."
"Nobody can see us." He presses his lips to her ear. "I want to see how wet you are."
She feels him push her panties aside and run his fingers through her soaking wet cunt. He chuckles
"Perfect."
Their wine and appetizers come quickly, but Dahlia has a hard time focusing on her meal because James smells so fucking good and he looks even better – oh, and he turns the vibrator on and off as he sees fit, slowly pushing her toward the edge and then pulling her back again when she looks like she's going to cry. Her cunt is aching, throbbing, and pulsing around nothing while he sips wine and tilts his head, examining her with a malicious glint in his eyes. She gives James a hard stare halfway through their oysters.
"Are you enjoying your punishment?" He asks in a playful tone.
Her cheeks are flaming red and she's sweating a little as she fights back tears.
"James... I need to come."
"Oh, peach, we haven't even started dinner yet. You're asking a lot."
"Do you do this with every woman you want to fuck?"
He grins and shakes his head.
"There have been a few special cases. You should count yourself lucky."
"I don't even think I could count to ten right now, James," she chokes.
He sits back in his seat and bites his lip.
"Let's test that theory."
Dahlia's eyes go wide.
"What?"
"If you make it all the way to ten, I'll let you come. Here. You're gonna soak that seat for me."
An arrogant grin spreads across his face and Dahlia swallows hard. She's never been one to back down from a challenge.
"Fine," she replies.
James turns the vibrator back on at the lowest setting.
"Count. To ten."
She takes a deep breath, resisting the urge to thrust her hips against the vibrator. Dahlia wants to squeeze her legs together, but that might be bad. Moving in any capacity feels like a recipe for disaster. She takes a sip of her wine and clears her throat.
"One."
"Nice and clear. Good girl." His eyes dart around the restaurant to make sure that they're still being somewhat discreet. Nobody has batted an eyelash. The wait staff doesn't even notice. "Keep going."
He turns the speed up and Dahlia bites back a whimper.
"Two..."
James leans forward.
"What was that?"
"Two."
"Good."
A little higher this time. She has to hold back a moan.
"Three." Her voice breaks toward the end, but it's clear. He chuckles.
"I'll allow it. You can do four, five, and six together."
How generous of you.
He increases the speed and she bites down on her knuckles. She's so close, practically gnawing her lip off as she soaks through her panties, and probably her fucking dress, too, at this point. He'd better give her his jacket when they're done.
"Four... five... six..."
"What a good girl."
She moans softly and James purrs, increasing the intensity.
"Are you close, sweetheart?"
"Yes, sir."
"Keep going."
"Seven..."
Dahlia doesn't see the server approach the table, but James does. He doesn't turn the vibrator off. She was worried about the sound at first, but it's silent. The only giveaway is her bright red face, but she tosses back the rest of her wine, content to blame her flush on the alcohol.
"Have you decided, Mr. Barnes?"
James hums and haws, taking his time as he flips through the menu while Dahlia sits by riding the crest of her climax. His arm tightens around her shoulder and he leans over to kiss her on the cheek.
"Have you decided, darling? You go first." He looks up at the server. "She's starving."
Dahlia nods quickly.
"I'll have the risotto."
"Mushroom?"
"Yes," she says quickly.
One word answers are good, she's finding. James still takes his time, torturing her as he turns it up to the highest setting. Dahlia jumps, the water glasses and silverware clanking. The server's eyes go wide and she forces a smile.
"Muscle twitch."
The server raises a brow, but says nothing. James takes a deep breath and sighs.
"I'll have the black cod, please."
The server nods and walks away. Dahlia turns to James with tears in her eyes. One slips down her face and he wipes it away.
"You know how fucking hard it makes me to watch you squirm like this?"
"Please, James," she begs, her eyes glossy.
He leans over and kisses her softly.
"Finish counting."
She lets out a soft sob, reaching up to clutch the lapels of his jacket.
"Seven... eight... ah! Nine... Oh my God, James I'm coming... I'm–"
"Finish it."
"Ten!" She whimpers, leaning forward as her climax rockets through her body.
James pulls her in for a hug, pretending to console her as he shushes her softly and strokes her hair.
"Good girl," he whispers. "Such a good girl. I can't wait to fuck you, Dahlia... feel you come all over my cock."
"You have to stop talking," she whispers.
James chuckles, low and rich. He turns the vibrator off and kisses her.
"I'm really glad I walked into that flower shop."
She laughs as tears spill down her cheeks. She feels joy, relief, and she doesn't want to let James go.
"Me too."