Jake’s brow furrowed, puzzled. “What do you mean?” He asked.
Mallory rolled her eyes. Was he really going to make her come out and say it? The guy was a glutton for punishment. And we had been having such a nice day up until now, she thought a bit regretfully. But she couldn’t stop herself. “You said that you learned the languages for business. But you don’t actually use them for that; you don’t work.”
Jake looked shocked for a moment. “You think that I don’t work?” His tone turned hard. “I’ve been working for my father since I was sixteen. I started in the copy room and had to work my way up; he never cut me any slack.” His face was a bit darker now, as though remembering something unpleasant. “Never good enough,” he said under his breath, as though he didn’t mean to say it aloud.
But Mallory heard, and she softened toward him instantly. “I’m sorry, Jake. I just assumed-”
“Yes, you assumed,” he said, his voice clipped. “Just like everyone else.” He looked at her angrily now, but there was something more in his eyes. Was it disappointment? Mallory felt the need to justify her assumption.
“I’m really sorry, Jake,” she said, imbuing her tone with sincerity. “I had no idea. It’s just… You offered to sweep me off to Venice for a few nights; that does imply that you have a lot of free time.”
He looked slightly mollified, but his usual easy smile wasn’t back in place either. Mallory found that its absence made her inordinately sad. “I suppose that’s understandable, then,” he conceded with a sigh. “You have to know that I never do this Mallory; I never take time off work like this. Even if I’m not in my office, I’m constantly on call.”
“Then why the exception this time?” Mallory asked, testing him.
“Because you resisted me,” he admitted after a moment. “No woman has ever challenged me. I’ve told you, Mallory, I always get what I want. And I want you.”
Mallory’s expression hardened even as heat pooled in her belly. She couldn’t help being flattered that this gorgeous man, who could have anyone he wanted, had chosen to pursue her so relentlessly. But at the same time, she was not some prize to be won. “Don’t you think I should have some say in this?” She asked severely. “What about what I want?”
Jake smiled, his cocky grin sliding back into place. “But you do want me, Mallory. I think we both know that.”
She snorted and threw up her hands in exasperation. “Fine,” she bit out, unable to contradict him. “But this is just sex. Nothing more.”
Jake’s expression turned cool. “Of course not.”
But as he said it, Mallory felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Yes, the sex was amazing, and the idea of it ending bummed her out. But she found that she was growing to like spending time with Jake. Every new thing she learned about him flew in the face of all of the terrible things she had assumed about his character. Yes, he was arrogant, but it was becoming clear to her that his arrogance was a defense mechanism, a means of hiding his true feelings, his vulnerability. Mallory wondered what had made him that way. He had muttered about his father’s disapproval. Was that the source of his cocky persona? She wanted to know him better, to understand the real Jake Cleary, beyond the money and the sex.
But Mallory schooled her face into an unconcerned mask, unwilling to voice her feelings when Jake so obviously wanted to keep their relationship casual.
After an uncomfortable minute, they eased back into small talk, discussing where Mallory had gone to school, her love of the beach, and her dream of becoming a teacher. Jake listened attentively, seeming genuinely interested in her modest life.
That night, as promised, Jake took her to an authentic Italian restaurant, where she had the best pasta she had ever eaten in her life. After dinner, they took a stroll, pausing on Rialto Bridge to look out at the city. It sprang up from the main canal on either side, as though the buildings were floating on the surface of the water, secured there by some ancient magic. The warm lights coming from the houses illuminated the colorful facades. The pastels reminded her of Rainbow Row in Charleston, her favorite landmark in her hometown.
Jake’s arm slid around her waist and pulled her tightly to his side. He bent down to murmur in her ear. “Would you like to go back to the hotel?” There was a sexy rumble in his tone that made Mallory shiver in delight. She nodded as demurely as she could, trying to conceal her eagerness; after his teasing her cl*t as he kissed her by the Bridge of Sighs, she had been ready to jump him all day.
Minutes later, they were back in Jake’s opulent suite at the Plazzina Grassi Hotel. The exterior resembled all of the other old Venetian buildings in the city, but the interior was sleek and modern. Their room was all white furniture and linens, with large mirrors on the walls making the room seem even more spacious than it was. A gracefully curving black chandelier hung from the ceiling, its darkness the one elegant contrast to the almost stark white theme of the room.
But Mallory didn’t have much time to admire her surroundings. Almost as soon as the door was locked behind them, Jake was on her, tearing off her dress. He made a sound of masculine satisfaction as he took in her sheer black lace bra and panties that she had picked out for the occasion. Trying to gain the upper hand at his moment’s pause, Mallory lunged at him, pushing him up against the mirrored wall as she hastily unbuttoned his shirt, longing to trace his hard muscles with her fingers once again. She felt a few seconds of triumph when she was able to actually move him by force, having taken advantage of his distraction. He looked down at her, stunned at her gumption.
In a move faster than she could see, Jake grabbed her wrist and pulled it behind her back, twisting it as he did so. With a cry, Mallory found herself forced to turn around to alleviate the pressure on her shoulder; if she didn’t, he surely would have broken her arm. Then his knee hit the back of her own, and he released her wrist as she tumbled down onto the plush carpet. She tried to push herself up, but he was on her in an instant, his hand at the nape of her neck, pressing her head to the floor and holding her there. His arm snaked under her belly, pulling her upwards until she was forced into a kneeling position. With her head still pinned to the floor, her ass was flagrantly exposed.