Buttons & Hate Read online

  “When did you go back to the business?”

  “When my father passed away.” I’d never truly grieved for him either. The last time we spoke we both said hurtful things. Years of silence passed until Mom called me and told me the news. “I returned to the business with Cane and we became partners. So my time has been split between the two.”

  Even though she was silent her eyes showed her interest. Every word entered her ear and stayed in her mind. She gave me her entire focus whenever we were together. “Do you enjoy it now?”

  “Not really.” The business wasn’t something I was proud of. It led to more problems than it was worth. I made a lot of enemies, the kind that never slept. Bones was my biggest adversary, a fight born before we even met each other. “But Cane wants me to be a part of it. Doesn’t want to run it on his own.”

  “When did you start listening to him?”

  The corner of my lip lifted in a smile. “I know he can’t handle it alone. He’s impulsive whereas I’m methodical. He’s impatient while I take things slow. He thinks with greed more than logic. We balance each other out.”

  “Do you enjoy the winery?”

  “Yes. It’s an honest living and I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. I started the vineyards when I was eighteen and within a few years it became the biggest winery in Italy.”

  “Your mother must have been proud.”

  “Yes.” But my father never was. He called it pussy shit.

  “I’d like to see it sometime, if you’re willing to show me.”

  “Sure.” I wouldn’t mind taking her over my desk in my office after a day in the fields. I wouldn’t mind showing her off to my workers, letting them see the woman I took to bed every night. Having her on my arm was a power play sometimes.

  She finished her wine then moved onto the next one. “Thank you for answering my questions.”

  She’d been living with me for three months and we never had a conversation about anything real. It was straight down to business, straight down to buttons and lace. I answered her questions with ease without even realizing it. She knew more about me than anyone, with the exception of Lars. “I don’t mind answering them when it doesn’t feel like an interrogation.”

  “I’ve never wanted to interrogate you. I’ve only wanted to know you.” Her eyes dropped to her glass and she stirred the wine before she took a drink.

  Anytime her gaze was averted I watched her. I examined the way her fingers gripped the top of the glass with her painted nail. They were ruby red, matching the color of her lipstick. She had long and slender fingers, perfect for wrapping around my cock when she sucked me off. When her lids were down I could see every single lash as it reached out and curved upright at the ends. They were full and lush, thicker than I’d ever seen them. She was beautiful every day without make up but when she dressed herself up she looked too good to be true. Never in my life had I sat across from a woman more gorgeous than she. And she didn’t have a clue. How did someone from a calloused background become so soft and beautiful? How did she hold onto her natural elegance, her pride? “You grew up in New York?”

  She finished her wine before she returned it to the table. “Born and raised. There’s no city in the world quite like it.”

  “Do you miss it?”

  She shrugged. “Being in a place like this makes me resent all the traffic, the people, the noise, and the pollution. My skin looks better than it ever has, and my lungs feel like they can breathe for the first time. So no, I guess I don’t miss it. I used to love that place but now that I’ve been here...don’t love it as much.”

  At least she was enjoying herself at my estate. She lived a life of luxury. She was waited on hand-and-foot, and she was in the presence of the most beautiful valley in all the world. “Have you spoken to your parents since you went your separate ways?” Her file told me a lot about her, but it didn’t tell me the details only a recount could give.

  “No.” Her voice was absent of bitterness. “I doubt they care. I was an accident they didn’t know what to do with. Living in foster care was difficult. Living on the streets was difficult too. But I’d rather go through that again than be anywhere near them.”

  I didn’t flinch at the resentment in her voice. My father and I butted heads through the years, but that was because we were both so controlling. He knocked me around when I disagreed with him but that made me push harder. But I did respect him. I was much better off than she ever was. “Were you ever adopted?”

  “Once. It was this nice family in Manhattan. I liked the wife and the husband. But then she became pregnant and they realized they couldn’t afford to keep me. So they sent me back.”

  My expression didn’t change but I felt my heart twist into a knot. To be welcomed into a family and then replaced when the real child came along must have been traumatic. “How old were you?”

  “Thirteen.”

  That made it worse. “I’m sorry.”

  “It is what it is. When I started college I molded into the person I was meant to be. The students didn’t know about my background so I had a clean start. That was when my life changed. Things got better and I was happy for the first time in my life—my loans aside.” She chuckled before she poured the next sample into her glass.

  I admired more than ever before. She’d been through hell but still came out positive. She could have a pity party for herself but never did. She pushed on and never gave up.

  She reminded me of myself.

  “Did you have a boyfriend in college?” The idea made me sick. There were other men before me. There would be men after me. The idea shouldn’t bother me. In fact, I shouldn’t even blink at the thought. But I did. I asked a question without wanting the answer.

  “Yes.” She smiled at the memory. “Jason. He was a nice guy.”

  She spoke fondly of her ex. That was a rare sight. “Why did you break up?”

  “He was two years older than me, so he graduated at the end of my sophomore year. He got a job in California and the long-distance situation just wasn’t working. We went our separate ways—as friends.” He was the only memory she spoke highly of. Everything else was full of darkness.

  “Do you still keep in contact with him?”

  “We text each other on and off sometimes. But nothing too intimate. I never asked if he was seeing anyone and he never asked me. It was one thing we silently agreed on.”

  Now he started to sound like the one who got away. I grew more uncomfortable by the second, feeling an inexplicable rage deep in my gut. The fact she loved a man was still fond of him burned my skin all the way to the bone. Her past life shouldn’t matter to me. Her future shouldn’t matter to me either. But it disturbed in a profound way. “Did you sleep with him?”

  She rolled her eyes, a smile on her lips. “I was in college. Hell yeah, I slept with him.”

  That answer just made me more tense. I wanted to change the subject because I was growing more uncomfortable by the second. I kept my face stoic but my hand gripped the glass so tightly it was about to shatter. “Which wine is your favorite?”

  She surveyed the bottles on the table and chewed her inner lips as she tried to come to a conclusion. “The second one.”

  One of mine.

  “What’s yours?”

  “I can’t answer that question.”

  “Why not?”

  “Conflict of interest.”

  “This isn’t an interview with the paper. You’re talking to me.”

  I leaned forward and examined the bottles. “The second one.”

  “Good. It would be awkward if you preferred someone else’s wine over yours.”

  “I suppose.” I set my empty glass down. “Are your ready to go?” We’d dined and wined. I fulfilled my end of the bargain. I wanted her underneath me on the bed. I wanted to fuck away her memory of that pathetic boyfriend of hers. How could he let her slip away? Sounded like a goddamn idiot to me.

  “Yeah. I like riding in your car. It’s nic
e.”

  If she wanted to get into my pants, all she had to was compliment my ride. “Thanks. It looks a lot nicer when you’re in the passenger seat.”

  She gave me a sexy grin. “How about the backseat?”

  ***

  We entered her bedroom and I immediately came up behind her and unzipped her skintight dress. I pulled the zipper all the way down to her ass, showing the top of her black thong and those luscious cheeks. A deep growl came from my throat at the sight. My cock was already oozing with pre-cum. It was desperate to be inside that slick pussy.

  I pulled the thin fabric all the way to her ankles and kneeled. I pushed her torso down, making her bend over at the foot of the bed. My fingers grabbed her thong and pulled it over while my tongue licked her tiny slit. She was wet like I anticipated and I enjoyed making her wetter.

  She moaned for me, pressing her ass further into my mouth because she wanted more. She wanted my thick tongue to rub her sensitive clit. We’d been together enough times to understand exactly the other wanted. I knew her likes and dislikes at an innate level.

  I stood then removed my trousers and boxers. I wanted to fuck her hard from behind, watch her ass shake with every thrust I made. My fingers quickly unbuttoned my shirt so I was buck named behind her.

  She turned around and moved further up the bed, on her back and against the headboard.

  I didn’t understand her movements but I didn’t question it. I crawled on top of her and kissed the valley between her breasts. I loved her tits just as much as her ass. Her rack was perfect.

  Her hand moved between her parted knees and she rubbed her clitoris while she fisted my hair with the other hand. She moaned quietly for me, arching her back so she could fit my nipple in her mouth.

  Fuck, she was sexy.

  I twisted one nipple and sucked the other, listening to her wince and moan at the same time. Her fingers rubbed her nub harder and she moaned loudly for me, not caring if anyone in the mansion listened to the sexy cries she made just for me.

  Staring at her all night made me desperate for her. I loved the dark and smokey look around her eyes. I loved the ruby color of her lips. She looked so beautiful by the candlelight. My dick wanted to be inside her more than anything else in the world.

  My cock lay against her stomach, smearing the liquid against her bellybutton. He expelled plenty of lubrication but I never needed it. Her pussy was always soaked for me.

  I pulled away and grabbed her hips. I shifted her weight and turned her over onto her stomach. I was going to pound her hard against the mattress, listening to her muffled cries against the pillows.

  She turned back over. “What are you doing?”

  I stared at her in the darkness, unsure if I missed something. “Fucking you.”

  “I want it like this.” She wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled me on top of her.

  “I don’t care how you want it.” We did things my way and she would have to deal with it. I made her come whether she was suspended from the ceiling or bent over a dresser. I didn’t do missionary because it was boring. It was too intimate for my taste. We only did it one time because I was easing her into our relationship. Last time we were face-to-face she cried for my pain. I didn’t want to feel the closeness, the syncing of our beating hearts.

  “It’s my night.” She squeezed her thighs against my waist. “You do what I tell you. Now obey.”

  My spine immediately shivered at the command. No woman ever dared to give me an instruction. She did it so effortlessly and with so much conviction it made my cock thicker. I was the dominant one, the man who needed control. But I was aroused by this woman with a backbone made of steel. She was my perfect match, my counterpart. I almost did as she asked. “You have it backwards, Button. I’m going to fuck you on your stomach so turn over.”

  “No. I paid for tonight. You do what I want without question, just as I do for you.” The fire burned deep in her eyes, about to burn me from the heat.

  My eyes narrowed in confusion. “You paid for dinner and a show. Sex was never included.”

  “It’s implied.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.” She dug her nails into my arms, silently warning me. “I want it like this. I want it slow. I want you to kiss me like I’m the only woman in the world who matters to you. Now do it.”

  She wanted vanilla sex. Fuck no, I wasn’t giving it to her. “I’m not making love to you.”

  “You bet your ass you are.”

  The backtalk fired me up. I wanted to crush my mouth against that pretty mouth of hers. I wanted to force her into submission but I also wanted her to fight back. “That was no included in the deal. Now shut up so we can fuck.” My cock throbbed and ached for release.

  “Fine. Two buttons.”

  “No.” There was no amount of buttons she could pay me. I didn’t do vanilla. Never have and never would.

  “Five.”

  “You don’t have enough buttons to make me do it.”

  She dragged her nails to my chest and dug into the skin until I almost bled. Her voice lowered, sexy and powerful. Her eyes were locked to mine. “I’ve done things with you I never thought I could do. I’ve enjoyed things I never thought I would enjoy. I give you what you need. Now give me what I need.”

  I held her gaze and felt my resolve slip away.

  She pressed a soft kiss to my lips, coaxing me to cooperate. “Now.” She breathed into my mouth, her confidence making me slip away. Her words made me rethink everything. She hung from the ceiling from leather straps and let me whip her until she bled. She’d done everything I asked because she knew I needed it. She took a chance and kept an open mind. That was more than most women would do.

  “Three.”

  Her hands moved to my shoulders and she slowly dragged them down my back. She kissed the corner of my mouth and tightened her legs around my waist. “Three.”

  The deal had been sealed and I upheld my end of the contract. I pressed my mouth to hers and kissed her slowly, concentrating on what I was doing and nothing else. I closed off my heart and kept it at a steady beat. I enjoyed every kiss and every caress physically, never emotionally.

  She responded to my affection immediately. Her nails dragged down my back but she didn’t cut the skin. Her touches turned gentle, inviting. She breathed into my mouth every time I kissed her, getting into it.

  I positioned myself on top of her and my cock found her entrance like it had a mind of its own. With her legs still wrapped around my waist I pressed my tip to her soaked entrance.

  My back coiled in longing when I felt the moisture. It felt so good against my cock. It was warm and slick, helping my large thickness slid right in. She was wetter than she’d ever been before. And that was something I didn’t think was possible.

  I slowly sunk into her, stretching her apart with every inch. Her pussy was heaven and I could stay buried inside forever. My cock wanted to make a home here and never leave.

  She hooked her ankles together and rested them in the center of my back, right against my spine. She was folded underneath me, her tits below me. Her hands trailed to my hips and she gripped them possessively. “Crow...” Her lips were parted and her face was red. She enjoyed it so much before we even began. “Oh god, Crow.” She grabbed my ass and pulled me the rest of the way inside her. “Your cock feels so good.”

  I paused before I thrust inside her. Her words dragged across my skin and made me bleed everywhere. They turned me on more than I already was. I barely did anything and she was a crumpled mess beneath me. My breathing escalated and my dick was even more sensitive. I could feel every movement of her channel. I could feel the flood as more moisture greeted me from deep inside her womb.

  I slowly pulled my cock out before I thrust into her, stretching again as my cock entered her tight pussy. My hips immediately wanted to move harder, fuck faster, but I kept my body under control. I made my thrusts slow and gentle.

  And I already wanted to come.

&n
bsp; It was harder to control myself than it usually was. All I had to do was command my body and it obeyed. But right now, normalcy went out the window. I couldn’t think straight when this beautiful woman enjoyed me so thoroughly. I was the one making her moan and beg for more. I was the king who conquered this queen. I was the man she traded bits of freedom for.

  My cock throbbed.

  “Crow.” It was the third time she said my name, and that broke her last record.

  My hips slowly thrust into her, and my ass contracted every time I moved. I moved into her slowly, barely rocking the bed. My lips moved with hers and tasted the wine on her tongue. “You look so beautiful tonight.” The words left my lips all on their own. I didn’t have to force it. I gave her what she wanted without having to try. When I fell into the movement and concentrated on the connection of our bodies everything else fell into place.

  She melted underneath me, her lips trembling. She said my name again, this time with more passion than ever before. “Crow...” Her nails dug into my ass before her arms hooked around my neck. Her fingers dug into my hair, feeling the soft strands.

  Our bodies caked with sweat and we moaned together. I kissed her when I could but sometimes it felt too good. I couldn’t concentrate on what I was doing and kiss her at the exact same time. My forehead pressed to hers and I looked into her eyes as I moved. I watched the fire dance in her irises. They were still blue, but searing hot. She got lost with me, conscious thought ending and emotions beginning.

  She gripped my biceps, what she usually did just before she exploded. “I’m going to come for you...”

  I could feel the slickness between her legs increase. There was so much of it. It dripped down to my balls and sank into her sheets, making them damp. My heart seared with unexpected pain and I felt my breath leave my lungs. “Tell me you’re mine.” She’d given her rejection countless times but I knew her answer would be different. I could feel it in my bones as well as my soul.