The bathroom was as large as a bedroom, and pure luxury, with a huge Jacuzzi to fit several people and a TV set mounted on the wall. The tiny lights in the ceiling reflected in the black marble tiles, making them sparkle like huge diamonds. I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my naked body, then went about cleaning up after myself to restore the bathroom’s previous pristine condition. Sylvie used to call it OCD, but whenever something bothered me, I cleaned. And right now what bothered me was the prospect of having sex in a stranger’s house.

By the time I changed into Jett’s idea of lingerie, the thought of having sex with him in this mansion both scared and excited me. Even though I didn’t want to admit it, my body was wet and ready for him. It wasn’t just the prospect of doing something illegal. It was the idea of doing another first with him. Letting him be in control the way I had never surrendered to him before. Having to trust Jett knew what he was doing, when I had a strong feeling the house had at least one or two hidden cameras installed.

I slipped into the bra and barely there thong, rolled up the stockings, and tried to get a feel for the high heels. The robe hugged my figure in all the right places and, as expected, barely covered my modesty. The black high heels with straps made my legs look a mile high. I ran my hands through my hair to give my curls some definition and applied a tiny bit of lipstick. Pleased with the result, I regarded myself in the huge mirror. I looked sexy and felt just the same. This was the kind of outfit that would make any woman look hot. Whoever advised Jett on what to buy sure knew their way around lingerie. Only, walking in those heels required some skill. Right in front of the window was a narrow strip of white sand—prime private beach. I wondered if Jett would insist on taking a walk? If so, I hoped I didn’t have to wear the heels, because they were so high I doubted I could take more than a few strides in them, let alone enjoy an evening stroll. With a last glance, I left the bathroom and joined Jett in the master bedroom, where he’d said he’d be waiting.

As I stepped inside, partly nervous, partly excited, my breath caught in my throat. He had spread a black satin cover on the sheets and red candles were arranged on the nightstand, their soft glow giving the room a romantic flair. The delicate scent of roses hung heavy in the air.

“You look stunning.” Jett’s voice was hoarse. I turned sharply and found him standing to my right, obscured by a massive dresser. His hands were buried in his pockets, his sleeves rolled up to reveal his strong forearms. His eyes scanned my high heels, my stockings, my half-exposed breasts, wandering farther up until his gaze met mine, and a smile lit up his face. There was something in his eyes—a glimmer I had seen before, only I couldn’t remember where.

“Thank you,” I whispered, unsure what to do with myself. “You have good taste, albeit a bit kinky.” I pointed down my front.

“No.” He shook his head and walked over to me. “You’re beautiful, Brooke. Everything would look amazing on you.”

My glance swept back over the candles, to their soft flickering glow, the king sized bed, then back to Jett, all the while ignoring the one thing that scared the hell out of me. I had never done tying up and we barely knew each other. While I trusted him, I didn’t know whether I trusted him that much. His previous questioning of my level of trust made so much more sense now.

“What?” he asked.

“You didn’t strike me as this kind of guy.” I shrugged and pointed around me, as though it didn’t matter. “I thought you would go for outdoor, daring. I don’t know. I just thought you would be more—” I trailed off, looking for the right words. He regarded me intently, but didn’t help me out.

Romantic? Daring? He had been all of those things so far, including the exhibitionistic outdoorsy type. I just didn’t expect—

Bondage.

Being tied and at someone else’s mercy. Holy cow. When I had made that joke on the need of establishing a “safe word” I couldn’t have been closer to the truth.

Jett’s eyes narrowed on me. “Nothing wrong with variety. At least I’m experiencing it with one and the same woman. I can’t claim the same thing for many men.” His tone was half accusing, half amused. “But I guess you’re right to some extent.”

“How so?”

“You don’t know half of the things you should know about me. This—” he pointed to the candles “—is meant to set the mood and relax you. Nothing more and nothing less.”

What the heck did that even mean? That it wasn’t his style? That he wouldn’t have done it, if he didn’t feel a need to make me feel comfortable?

My stomach fluttered and my mouth went dry as I watched him walk across the room with slow measured steps. His feet were naked, barely making a sound on the hardwood floor. His eyes remained focused on me, and for the umpteenth time I felt like his prey, scared but hypnotized, waiting for him capture or release me. Tonight I harbored no false hope that it would be the latter.

“We can’t stay here for the night. We could get in big trouble,” I protested weakly.

He stopped in front of me, and his arm wrapped around my waist. At first I thought it was to caress my back. Only when his fingers trailed up my spine and gathered in my hair did I feel the gentle pull, urging me to raise my head and meet his burning lips.

It was a gentle kiss, his lips barely grazing mine.

“My rules.” He spun me around slowly. “That’s why we’re here. I’m teaching you to break a few rules.” His gaze brushed my lips with such hunger it sent a tingle through them. “I’ll love you in any way I want. I’ll love you in any way you need. As long as we stay here, baby, you’re mine.” He grinned as he pulled me down on the bed. “You had your chance to win. Not my fault you didn’t want to.”

I had wanted to, but I had been too weak to make it happen. Or maybe, on an unconscious level, I had wanted to surrender to him. Either way, I was at his mercy, and he knew it.

“Stop rubbing it in, Mayfield.”

“Why don’t you admit you like when I’m in charge?”

I swallowed.

“I’m not into all that submission crap,” I muttered. Giving up control was kind of nice every now and then, but he didn’t need to know that, or I’d live to regret it. Jett had the unnerving tendency to get a little too intense, like with this game. He couldn’t just establish that he was the better player by winning and shutting up about it; he had to translate his dominance into our lovemaking and risk criminal charges by breaking a few laws in the process.

“I didn’t expect you’d do it without putting up a good fight.” He raised my leg and started to trail soft kisses on the inside, the movement sending a delicious shiver through me.

I suppressed a moan as his lips kissed my inner thigh. His tongue started to draw small swirls on my skin, inch by inch moving down toward my knee.

“I’ll always be your best, Brooke,” he whispered.

I had no doubt about that.

Slowly, he peeled off my high heel and dropped it near the bed.

“No one will ever love you more than I do,” Jett continued. The second high heel hit the floor with a thud.

Intense? Yes, but I loved it.

My heart raced as his attention shifted to my other thigh and he proceeded to torture my body. His teeth grated my skin gently and turned into soft bites.

“Close your eyes.”

I followed his command, anticipating his next move. Something silky tickled my skin. I opened my eyes and looked down at the ties in Jett’s hand and the naughty glint in his eyes.

“Are those yours from the apartment?” I asked, sitting up. He pressed me back down.

“Yeah. They’re just right for this particular purpose.” He stretched the material, conjuring images of punishment, whipping, and bondage inside my head.

“I’m not—”

His hot mouth stifled my protest and his hands pulled my arms over my head. I could feel the silky fabric first on my left wrist, then around the right. I pulled gently, and then with a little more fervor as I realized I was being bound to the bedpost.

“Relax,” Jett whispered. “I’d never hurt you.”

I nodded, even though my heart was beating a million miles an hour, and not from the sexual tension in the air. The smooth material felt cool against my skin. Sexy. Erotic. Menacing.

“This was actually my idea. You realize that, right?” I laughed nervously. “I told you what I’d do to you if I won, and now you’re claiming it as your own.”

His brows shot up in mock offence. “Are you implying I’m stealing your ideas, Miss Stewart?” He shifted his weight off of me and moved to my ankles. My breath caught in my throat as I realized what he was about to do.

“Maybe I’m implying I have no free hand to help you.” I hoped he got the hint and untied me.

“I’m doing just fine but thanks for offering.”

He grinned with the kind of glint in his eyes that said he harbored no intentions to follow my unspoken request. In fact, he was going to tease me and tease me hard. I wondered where he was heading. The tie brushed my skin, the cold satin against my ankles sending shivers of delight up my body.

“Are you going to keep on talking?” he asked. “Because right now I’m thinking of shutting your sexy little mouth so I can follow through with my plans.”

“What plans?” At his displeased expression, I halted the hundreds of questions inside my head. I had been talking again. I always was when I was nervous. “Sorry,” I muttered.

He shifted back on top of me and propped up on his elbows, his mouth so close to mine I wanted to reach up and suck his lower lip between my teeth.

“Dirty plans. I’m going to ravish you until you can’t get me out of your system. There are a million ways to make you come and I’m planning on testing each and every one of them. But first you’ll need to be—” He lifted the last tie to show me.

“Of course,” I muttered.

I lifted my head so he could blindfold me.

The sudden darkness, his hot breath on my neck, and the weight of his body on me made my heart pound harder. It was so dark I couldn’t see a damn thing and the idea both scared and aroused me. My legs were spread wide open, inviting him to do whatever he wanted to me. What was he doing? Why didn’t he move? I bit my lip hard to stop the need to ask.

I could feel his gaze on me, caressing my body, making my skin tingle all over. I could sense the smile on his lips but couldn’t read his intentions.

“I want to fuck you,” Jett whispered. “Slowly. Recklessly. Teasingly. However I feel like doing it. In all possible ways. Scream as loud as you want because no one will hear you. And I want you to scream, baby.”

His fingers began to trail my abdomen, gathering between my legs. I felt him prodding me, spreading my gathering juices. Tied and in a stranger’s house, I was open for him. My senses heightened, my primal instincts asking to be filled. His finger slipped inside me slowly. I moaned and lifted my hips, welcoming the sensation, drawing him deeper.