Rumpled Between The Sheets (5 page)

Chapter Five

Mary mopped her
brow, eyeing the depleted pile of gold. The first month it had stayed the same
size no matter how much she spindled. Since the visit from that arrogant
jackass, her supply waned. She had no understanding of how the magic worked.
Nothing in the numerous boxes in the attic at home gave her a clue. Perhaps her
success had made the special thread unnecessary or maybe her passion for sewing
had lessened.

How had her
mother found balance?

Regardless, she
had enough fabric to make several outfits rolled into bolts. Her clientele had
bemoaned her shutting the shop. Janis in particular had her lemon-induced
pucker back in full form. What else could she do? She'd been challenged by the
prestigious Benjamin
Elstiltzkin
. Sleep just wasn't
an option and getting home at a decent hour went out the window.

Sketchpad in
hand, she tried to draw out the ideas in her head. One by one the pages hit the
floor. She couldn't concentrate. Benjamin’s chiseled body and gray eyes
tormented her imagination. Visions of him naked on top of her had tormented her
nightly. He was a certified grade 'A' jerk. The kind of man she seemed to
gravitate toward but, unlike Paul, she hadn't fucked him.

Not that she
hadn't fantasized about it, to her utter disgust.
Something about
him set her innards on fire.

For the second
time this week, a knock came at the front door of her store. A big “closed”
sign meant nothing to the people of this town. Exasperated, she tossed her
sketchpad to the table. Perhaps a press conference on the City Hall steps would
keep them away. People weren't taking the hint with all the paper blocking the
view of the shop within either. She unlocked the door and swung it
wide,
ready to give whomever it was a piece of her mind. To
her shock, Benjamin stood there. At the sight of her, his wicked grin peeled
wide.

"Just the
person I wanted." Before she could slam the door in his face, he grabbed
her and tossed her over his shoulder. "Get whatever materials she's got in
the shop and load them in the truck.
Now."

Struggling in
his arms, Mary froze when she recognized Ginger Govern.
"You."
Anger boiled in her and her fists pounded Benjamin's back. "Let me down
now!"

"Gladly,"
he replied.

She squealed as
he tossed her in the back of a limo and joined her inside.

"Load up
the materials before this backwards town wakes up," he barked at Ginger
before slamming the car door. He took a seat opposite of her, straightening his
tie with a smug smile on his face.

Mary dove for
the door and yanked on the door handle. No matter how much she put her weigh
into it, the door wouldn't budge.

"Locks are
a bitch."

"Let me
out. This is kidnapping." She yelped as the limo took off, sending her
sprawling. "Where are you taking me?"

"I'm taking
you precisely where you've bragged you'll be going to these inbred idiots.
Hardly kidnapping.
Consider it as me paying your way since
I'm so generous."

"Who the
hell to do you think you are?"

"I'm
Benjamin fucking
Elstiltzkin
and it's about time you
realize you're out of your league." He leaned forward, crossing his arms.
"This is how it's going to work. I'm taking you to New York where you will
work on a collection under my supervision. That collection will be the one that
goes down the runway...under my brand name. Think of it as a favor."

"Like hell
it is. What are you afraid of, Benjamin fucking
Elstiltzkin
?
A woman showing you up?"
She cringed back as he
sprang from his seat as fast a cat. His lips hovered near hers.

"I'm not
afraid of anything, sweetheart. I'm a man who always gets what he wants."
His mouth covered hers, hot and demanding. She stiffened at first at the
invasion but her wicked fantasies took over and she kissed him back. Why did
her body react so passionately to a man that deserved to be pushed out in
traffic? The more Mary hated herself for craving more than a kiss, the more she
desired him to rid her of every piece of clothing. Her mind swirled with the
dirty things she'd love to do with him. When his tongue invaded her mouth, she
snapped back to reality and shoved him away. Losing control to his wonderfully
athletic body did her no good beyond ridding herself of the sexual dreams
starring the two of them. Or
amping
up her desire for
more.

"I see you
have the manners of a Neanderthal." She wiped her mouth, part of her
lusting for Benjamin to continue his wicked assault on her swollen lips and
more.

He actually
laughed at her, adjusting his jacket before sitting back in his seat and crossing
his legs. "You liked it, so don't deny you want me to fuck you right
now."

"I want no
such thing!"
Liar.

"Your
nipples tell me different."

She wanted to
smack the smugness off his face. How dare he? A rebuttal formed on her lips and
when she glanced down, her nipples were trying to poke through the fabric. She
crossed her arms over her chest and refused to look in his direction. His
chortle echoed throughout the limo. She was stuck, no two ways about it. No one
was going to believe he ever kidnapped her with his reputation. She was torn
between the possibilities of working with someone of high prestige in the
fashion world and the way he'd gone about making it happen. Crying was not an
option. Mary refused to allow him to know that she teetered between wanting to
be kissed like his possession and wanting to smash out the window with her size
six shoes to escape. With the panes of glass dark in color, no one would see her
signaling for help.

****

Mary was gazing
out the window, avoiding his stare at all costs. Benjamin shifted, keeping his
legs crossed. His dick begged to be released and buried inside her. The kiss
was forward enough. While he couldn't deny his desire to have her stripped
naked with him on top, he had never before taken a woman without her consent
and he wouldn't start now. So instead, he memorized every inch of her, fully
planning to tame his hard-on in the privacy of his room tonight. Her slightly
pouting
lips,
flush from his kiss. The curves of her
generous hips were perfect to grab hold of for hard thrusts of his cock into
the space between her legs.

He clenched his
fist. His ambitious plan would be his downfall. If she didn't comply with his
demands, his career and reputation would be in ruins. Her meek demeanor could
be a ploy to run as soon as the door opened. Contingences only went so far. He
couldn't lose her, not after he discovered someone that resurfaced memories
he'd buried so long ago. Relief flooded over him when he reached the small
airport. His small plane would take them to New York in style.

The limo slowed
to a stop and the door swung wide. Mary bolted for the opening only to stop as
a rather large man blocked her path. Benjamin couldn't help himself. His laughter
mocked her attempt at escaping and admired her backside as she exited. She was
a rabbit in a cage, trapped and still trying to find a way out.

"Sir?"

He waved away
his driver. "Make our guest comfortable. I will join you shortly."
When my dick calms down.
He considered a drink but abstained. Alcohol could impair his judgment and her
beauty alone did that. Stretching, he glanced down, happy to see his erection
had subsided. The smell of jet fuel hit his nose as he stepped out of the limo.
Jacket buttoned, he strode with his usual confidence to the plane. Inside, Mary
lounged by the window, Ginger pinning her in.

"Comfortable?"
He smirked.

"Fuck
you." Mary spat back.

"Love to,
sweetheart." Benjamin met her stare. She turned away as a nice crimson
blushed
her cheeks. He headed to the back and his personal
living space. The door locked with ease. He couldn't wait until New York to
take care of his needs. His jacket hit the floor along with every article of
clothing he wore. Bare, he sprawled on the bed, the silk sheets smooth on his
skin. He snatched a towel from the headboard, always prepared to fly solo. The
pillow became her bosom and the tangled sheets her legs.

Shame was never
part of his repertoire. He fisted his cock, slow strokes causing the foreskin
to cover the mushroom tip. His tight palm mimicked the aching rhythm he'd
employ when she submitted to him. Countless women had vied for a place in his
bed. Models and rich widows who just wanted to be a notch in his belt had
spread theirs legs at his whim. He enjoyed each one of them, yet the one prize
he wanted was the one who hated him with every fiber of her being.

As the rumble of
the plane cruising along the tarmac vibrated the bed, his back arched,
straining against the sheets roping him back. Unable to contain his need, he
hammered his cock into his hand. He clenched his jaw to smother the heavy
breathing. He rolled over, spilling his cum onto the awaiting towel. Sweat trickled
down his skin. He had to gain back the control she subliminally held on him.
Not that he didn't enjoy masturbating.
The reasoning, he
justified, for doing that? It would make him think with his dick instead of the
gray matter between his ears. With Press Week looming he needed to be on his
game and not allow her wicked curves to tempt him further.

He cleaned his
dick off in the small sink of his bathroom and gave his skin a swipe for good
measure. Dressing in casual attire, he joined the others in the cabin. One tap
had Ginger scurrying out of her chair. He sat next to Mary, reveling in the
heat from her body. She shifted away. The scent of her hair lingered and he
inhaled. How he wanted to run his fingers along each strand.

"Please
fasten your seatbelts for takeoff." The captain's voice brought Benjamin
back to reality. He glanced at Mary, her pinched brow and eyes nearly spilling
over a dozen tears as she fumbled with her seatbelt.

Benjamin reached
over to help her. "Is the thought of working with me that atrocious?"
he whispered.

"Yes."
She rounded on him. Tears streamed down her face. "This was my opportunity
to shine, not to be some puppet in your sideshow. How dare you be so
callous!
"

Torn between his
urge to calm Mary and the gentle stroke she gave his ego, Benjamin parted his
lips. As the words formed, his throat constricted. The only thing that mattered
was saving his business and he had to remember that.

"You might
enjoy working under me." He traced her jaw and Mary smacked his hand away.

"Let's get
one thing straight.
Hands off.
I've had my fill of men
who think they can paw at me." Her hazel eyes narrowed. "You don't
own me. Got it?"

He held up his
hands, almost uttering a cat call. He cleared his throat.
"Got
it."
His smirk returned.

"And wipe
that cocky grin off your face."

"I'm afraid
that will never happen, sweetheart."

"My name's
Mary."

"Really?"

"Yeah.
Mary fucking
Becken
.
Learn
it." Unlocking her seatbelt, she squeezed out of her seat and tried to
shuffle past him. To his delight, a bout of turbulence landed her straight on his
lap. The herbal scent of her hair mixed with the faint scent of almond lotion
lingered. She struggled to get up and he grabbed her.

"Wait."

"Let go of
me!"

"
Shhh
."
He chided her. The plane shook more
violently and she threw her arms around him to hold on. When her breasts
pressed against his face, his willpower wavered. Her breath warmed the top of
his head. Just one taste of her flesh would send him over the edge. His one
moment of heaven ended as soon as it began. She jumped off and straightened her
clothes.

"Where is
the bathroom?"

Both he and
Ginger thumbed the same direction. She moved with speed toward the back. Benjamin
rubbed his chin in amusement.

"What are
you doing?" Ginger hissed. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Do you love
your job, Ginger?" He casually regarded her.

"Yes, well,
who wouldn't?" She shifted in her seat before clearing her throat. "It
doesn't mean that forcing her to work for you isn't wrong."

"Undermining
your boss is a good way to get fired, wouldn't you say?"

"So I'm
supposed to zip it while you paw her like an animal?"

He shifted to
face her. "I expect you to keep your mouth shut because you're the one who
got
her the
invitation to Press Week." He tapped
his temple and her eyes widened in shock. "Be lucky you still have your
job."

His mood soured.
Being in a cutthroat business had made him paranoid. When he let his last
assistant go because he found the man stealing his designs to sell to fashion
rivals, he added a clause to the contracts and hired a private investigator to
follow them any time they left for vacation. Ginger's betrayal, while not as
demoralizing as his last assistant, had cut deep. What had prompted her to do
something so underhanded?