Winner Takes All: Big Easy, book 6 Read online

  She nodded.

  He reached out and gripped her wrist, shackling it tightly, letting her feel exactly what she was inviting. “Your safe word is risotto. Say that and it ends. That’s the only word that will make me stop. Do you understand?”

  Hollie licked her lips, her mouth suddenly going dry. His dark words provoked the exact reaction she wanted to feel—fear laced with heart-pumping, pussy-throbbing desire. She wanted to belong to him, but by God, he had to prove he was worthy of her submission.

  She was so overwhelmed, she failed to respond.

  Noah hadn’t missed that fact. “Say it, Hollie. Say the word. Let me hear it.”

  “Risotto,” she whispered. The word reminded her of the night the two of them had been paired up for the partner challenge. There had been given five ingredients hidden on the table in front of them. Each team had a different grain and was told to create a delicious side dish. She and Noah had received risotto and that was the night that her star—and his—began to rise. People began to recognize her when she went out in public and her face first appeared on the cover of a tabloid, the article mistakenly linking her and Noah romantically, claiming they were engaged in a scandalous, secret affair.

  “Take off your clothes.”

  She reared back, surprised when he returned the harem girl outfit to the closet.

  “What?”

  He returned and captured both of her wrists with one of his hands, shackling them in front of her as he led her toward the hot tub. Her affable, good-natured friend had vanished. What remained was this demanding, imperious, sexy-as-fuck stranger. “My slaves only wear clothing when it pleases me. And I don’t repeat myself. Ever.”

  She had told him she’d fight him. That was certainly what she’d planned, but there was something about his tone, the way he looked at her, that had her fingers itching to tear off every scrap of material hiding her body from his view.

  Hollie pushed that desire away. Noah was offering her something she’d never had the guts to ask for before. She wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip away. She tugged her hands out of his grasp. Clearly he thought she was going to comply. Otherwise, he would never have let her go so easily.

  She took a step away as she reached for the first button on her blouse. He watched with avid attention, not noticing at first when she continued to back away. She recognized the exact second he realized she didn’t plan to obey his command.

  He took a predatory step closer, stalking her slowly, keeping his motions steady.

  Her heart raced, her breathing growing more rapid, shallow.

  “Hollie.”

  The way he used her name threw her off-guard. In her mind, she’d always been someone else in her fantasy, someone adventurous, exotic, a hell of a lot more interesting than plain old Hollie Mills from Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

  She jerked when she backed herself against one of the tall posts at the bottom of the bed. She started to twist toward the left, intent on running away, but Noah anticipated her move before she made it.

  He gripped her arms with a strength that should have terrified her. Instead, her traitorous body reacted instantly. Her nipples budded, her panties went wet and a flash of pure electricity shot straight to her pussy, leaving her breathless and on the verge of begging.

  While Hollie struggled to regain control of her overwhelming need, Noah made short work of securing her hands behind her back, around the post of the bed. She tugged and expected the silk to give way, but Noah wasn’t playing around. Apparently he knew his stuff when it came to knots.

  Without hesitance, his fingers worked free the buttons of her blouse until it hung open, revealing her simple white bra. She wished she’d realized her night was going to take such an amazing turn. She would have gone for Hootchie Mama over Catholic Schoolgirl. Her plain white panties were worse than the bra. They weren’t exactly granny style, but they were damn close.

  Of course, given the way Noah studied her breasts, his gaze practically stroking her cleavage, it appeared he didn’t mind.

  She bumped against the post roughly when his hands reached for the fastening of her skirt. For the past nine months, she had lived in a constant state of horniness, but now that she was here, the moment of truth at hand, everything was going too fast.

  “Noah,” she gasped.

  His hands left her skirt, his fingers tangling in her hair, tugging it with a force that had her scalp tingling and her eyes watering. It also had her so fucking turned on, she wasn’t completely sure she hadn’t just had a mini-orgasm.

  “Master,” he said gruffly. “You will only call me Master.”

  In every other instance of her life, that demand would have had her scoffing. Refusing. This was clearly the one exception.

  God, Hollie. You’re supposed to be fighting him.

  “I’ll never call you that.” The words sounded breathy and every bit like the lie they were.

  The smile he gave her looked dangerous and sexy and—oh God—her body trembled again. What the hell was going on? She was in physical, aching pain. If he didn’t fuck her soon, she was pretty sure she’d die.

  Noah released her hair. She missed the rough touch instantly. Until his hands returned to her skirt, making short work of the zipper. The material slid to the floor with little effort.

  He peeled her panties away next and once again she wanted to ask him to slow down. Which was ridiculous because what she really needed was for him to hurry up.

  “Kick them off,” he demanded when her panties joined her skirt on the floor. “Toe off those sandals as well.”

  She considered refusing, but she was too excited to see what came next. She did as he asked. Once more, Noah wasted no time taking what he wanted. He nudged at the inside of her ankles.

  “Spread your legs apart.”

  Her mouth opened as she prepared to say no. Noah didn’t give her a chance. His lips captured hers in a hard kiss that was more possessive than caring.

  When he released her, his eyes were narrowed. “There are consequences to challenging me. Be very sure you’re willing to pay the price.”

  Holy shit. Could he be any fucking sexier? Part of her wanted to ask what the consequences were, but he pressed against her ankle again.

  Her legs parted of their own volition. She expected him to touch her. God knew that was what she wanted—needed—him to do.

  She was shocked when instead he knelt before her. With his thumbs, he tugged her mons apart, his face so close to her pussy she could feel the heat of his breath. He looked at her so closely, she blushed. Hollie had never been the subject of such intense scrutiny. She understood his intention. She was to be his slave, his possession. She was his to look at, to play with, and—if he so desired—to give away to someone else.

  That thought sparked something, a dirty desire she’d kept buried deep. He’d tapped into her needs and he was flushing them out, driving them into the bright light and forcing her to face them, acknowledge them.

  “My servants will shave you; keep you bare for my touch, my kisses.” He spoke in a matter-of-fact voice that had her not only believing those servants existed, but certain she wanted them to do exactly what he’d said.

  He tugged on her pubic hair as he spoke, sparking more of those confusing pleasurably painful sensations.

  Hollie shook her head as if to resist his words, wishing she had the breath to speak.

  “Do you want me to touch you, Hollie? Do you want me to fuck your virgin pussy and ass with my big cock?”

  Hollie’s face flamed with heat—the perfect melding of shock, embarrassment and desire.

  “Noah,” she whispered, her eyelids drifting shut as she tried to hide her reactions. He didn’t allow her the escape.

  He pulled her pubic hair again, harder this time.

  She gasped as her eyes flew open, his gaze capturing hers.

  “Master,” he corrected. He waited for her to say it, but she pursed her lips. Refused. He seemed to enjoy that refusal. S
he had no doubt he’d pull that title out of her before the night was over. And what was more, he’d enjoy doing so.

  “It will hurt the first time,” he continued. “But soon you’ll come to love it, to want it more than your next breath. Soon, you’ll be begging me to take you. Over and over.”

  She was on the verge of doing that right now.

  So lame, Hollie. Fight him. This is your fantasy. Stop fucking it up.

  “Never,” she said, proud of the strength in her voice.

  When he stood up without touching her, she had to bite her lower lip to take back her denial. To stop herself from giving in and starting the pleading right now. That desire grew stronger when he untied her hands.

  She didn’t want to be free. Not yet.

  Not ever.

  That thought took her aback. This was her first night with Noah and already her heart was hoping for more. So much more.

  Which was dangerous, considering the outcome of tomorrow night’s show would change everything for them. One of them would be crowned the champion and awarded a huge sum of money that would allow them to make all their dreams come true. The other would leave with nothing.

  While she tried to tell herself she could handle it—one way or the other—she wasn’t sure that was the truth.

  How would Noah react if she won? Would he get pissed off? Walk away from her?

  And what happened if he won? Would he return to New Orleans? Open his restaurant there? He was a Big Easy boy—born and bred in the city—while she was a country-bumpkin farm girl from PA. There were one thousand, one hundred and forty miles between them. She knew because she’d looked it up one night.

  Regardless of what happened tonight, tomorrow was going to change everything.

  She just didn’t know how.

  Chapter Four

  Once he untied her hands, Noah pushed her blouse over her shoulders. He was anxious to peel that damn bra away so he could see her breasts. He’d jacked off no less than a hundred times as he imagined her naked. As her popularity on the show had grown, the producers had decided to cash in on her beauty. Her clothing had become more revealing with each subsequent appearance and tonight’s attire had been no different. Though she’d worn an apron during the actual cooking, he’d caught more than a few peeks of her sexy cleavage as she worked. It had distracted him so much, he’d almost forgotten to add the honey to his Mrouzia.

  He added the bra to the pile of clothing on the floor.

  Finally, she was naked. Noah took a step back, treating himself to a long, hard look at her. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. His cock thickened at the sight, the constriction of his jeans almost unbearably painful.

  Despite his discomfort, he didn’t seek to shed the denim. If he took off his pants right now, it was game over. He’d shove her down on that bed and fuck her, fantasy be damned.

  And while he didn’t think Hollie would complain, he wasn’t about to let the night end so soon. Her reactions to his commands were heady. She wasn’t holding anything back.

  “Get into the tub. I prefer my slaves be freshly cleaned before coming to me.”

  She glanced at the hot tub, then back at him. He wondered how far she’d allow him to go with this role-play before she balked.

  Given the way she obeyed, stepping into the water, it appeared he had quite a bit more leeway.

  She sank into the tub until only her head and the tops of her shoulders broke the surface. He suspected she was trying to hide from him.

  Time to up the ante.

  He reached for the hem of his shirt and tugged it over his head. His efforts at the gym were rewarded when she treated him to a soft appreciative inhalation.

  Noah took a steadying breath before unfastening his jeans and pushing them, his boxers and his shoes off. He’d vowed to take his time, but the way her auburn hair curled in the steam had him longing to run his fingers through it once more. Had him itching to grab a handful of it as he directed her mouth toward his cock, using that grip to hold her still as he fucked her—

  Jesus, Noah. Take it easy, buddy.

  He needed to concentrate on the here and now. Too many more visions like that and he’d blow before he ever touched her.

  Hollie’s eyes remained locked on his cock, which wasn’t helping his control, either. He stepped into the tub and sank down onto the seat. A jet hit his lower back and he groaned aloud at the relaxing sensation.

  “It’s nice, isn’t it?”

  He nodded. She was breaking character, but he let her. This was their first time, and, God willing, it wouldn’t be their last. Noah wanted her to want him as much as she seemed to enjoy this dominant sheik. “Long day.”

  She smiled. “Tomorrow will be longer.”

  He shifted on the seat as he reached for her. He didn’t like the distance between them. Noah was surprised when she moved toward him easily, without resistance. He turned her so her back rested against his chest, allowing him to wrap his arms around her waist.

  She sighed contentedly.

  “Would you prefer to call it a night? Turn in early to rest?” If she said yes, Noah would kick his own ass for asking the question, but there was a part of him that was still worried about what would happen tomorrow.

  Noah wanted to say it didn’t matter. Win or lose, his feelings would remain the same. But at heart, they were both serious competitors—that was evident by the fact they were in the finals—and the prize was something that would definitely change one of their lives forever. Five hundred grand and the opportunity to open their own restaurant were huge—for him and for Hollie.

  Then it occurred to him he’d never asked about her plans for the money. Until today, he hadn’t thought about much more than getting to this point, to making the finals. Now, the idea that he could win it all was a very real possibility. All he had to do was shatter Hollie’s dreams.

  He wasn’t aware that he’d tightened his grip on her until he felt her hands on his wrists. She glanced over her shoulder at him.

  “Are you okay?”

  He nodded, and then pushed his fears away. He wasn’t going to let his worries ruin what was shaping up to be one of the best nights of his life. There was time to deal with the fallout tomorrow. For now, he wanted her.

  Time to put them back on track. Reaching toward the ledge, he grabbed the bottle of bath gel. Squeezing some onto his palm, he rubbed his hands together and worked up a lather on her breasts.

  Hollie’s head rested on his shoulder, her quiet mews and stillness led him to believe she’d fall asleep if he continued this way. But sleep wasn’t on the agenda. Not for a few more hours anyway.

  He gripped her nipples between his forefingers and thumbs and began to increase the pressure. Hollie’s spine stiffened and she started to pull away. He held fast, keeping her trapped against him.

  “Noah,” she cried out as he pinched the tight nubs harder.

  He released her then gently rubbed away the pain. He half expected to hear her use her safe word, so he was surprised when she sighed as if confused.

  “I don’t understand…why…”

  “Why what?”

  “That hurt.”

  He didn’t interrupt her. Instead, he gave her time to gather her thoughts, to choose her words. She obviously had more to say.

  “But I loved it. It makes me ache for more.”

  In that moment, Noah understood exactly how fucked he was. Hollie was truly the most perfect woman in the world. He’d never found anyone he connected with on every single level. But with her, there was no denying she was the yin to his yang, the salt to his pepper.

  He nipped her shoulder, just a tiny, quick bite that he then soothed with his tongue. “Your body knows exactly who its Master is. Even if your head isn’t ready to admit it yet.”

  She narrowed her eyes as she glanced at him over her shoulder. She was attempting for a rebellious look, but falling short. Her face was flushed and her breathing too unsteady.

  “I’
ll never be yours. I’m a free woman.”

  He chuckled darkly and the sound had the desired effect. It pulled her back into the fantasy.

  She tried to escape his grip. He let her manage to put a couple of feet between them before he grasped her upper arm and twisted her until they were facing each other. Reaching for the body gel, he gently squeezed her arm.

  “Put out your palm.”

  She shook her head defiantly. Noah grabbed her wrist, amused when she kept her hand clenched in a tight fist.

  “Open it now, Hollie, or I’ll be forced to punish you.”

  “Punish me how?”

  Her question was too curious, without an ounce of fear behind it. She liked the idea. But how was she playing it out in her mind? He wondered what she would think of his response.

  “I’ll yank you out of this tub, turn you over my knee and spank your bare, wet ass until it’s as red as those strawberries over there on the counter.”

  She bit her lower lip, clearly letting that image play out in her mind. Then she threw her head back haughtily. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  Noah loved the way she challenged him. “You’ve earned yourself ten smacks when we’re finished in here. Open your hand now or the number increases.”

  Her fingers slowly loosened. “There,” she said once her palm was flat. “Now you don’t have to spank me.”

  He kept his expression stern despite his desire to kiss the tip of her cute little nose. “The punishment stands. I told you. I don’t repeat myself.”

  “But—”

  He cut off her argument with a hard kiss as he dropped the shower gel. He intended to keep it quick, but the second his lips touched hers, he couldn’t resist lingering. With one hand, Noah kept a tight grip on her wrist while he wrapped the other around the back of her neck, holding her to him.

  His tongue touched hers and he tried to recall if he’d ever tasted anything sweeter than Hollie. Nothing came to mind. And he had a sweet tooth.

  After several heated minutes, he finally managed to pull away. It took him a few seconds to remember his plan. The sight of her open palm reminded him.