Seventeen

The next morning I woke to curtains being ripped open and sunlight being forced in.

"Time to get up." Finn seemed aggravated.

I rustled in bed, throwing my arm over my face. He ripped the covers from me, and I gave him the dirtiest look I could muster.

"You are so annoying," I mumbled.

"Stand up."

I did what I was told, but didn't want to.

"What will we do today, sir?" I asked so calmly, so sweetly that he almost smiled, but didn't.

"Don't call me that anymore."

"Yes, sir." I batted my eyes in his direction. He lightly grumbled, and I saw his body slightly loosened.

"You will be going shopping today. Luketon agreed that Friday would be perfect for him. He has a big night planned for you, and you need to be ready."

I moved closer to Finn, not taking my eyes from his. Once closer, I rubbed my hands down his arms and ran my lips across the outside of his.

"Stop that. Do you think you can just wake up one morning and do whatever the fuck you want?"

With force, he grabbed my wrists and lifted my hands above my head then slammed me against the wall. My breathing increased as he parted my legs. With light nibbles up my neck, he kept my arms tight above my head and whispered in my ear. "I told you not to call me 'sir' anymore. So don't fucking do it again."

He slammed my wrists against the wall, taking his anger out on me.

"You have to listen to me, Jennifer."

He stressed between gritted teeth. His breathing increased as did mine.

"What will you do to me if I don't, sir?"

"You don't know how to fucking listen, do you?"

Finn bit his bottom lip, and tightened his grip on my wrists as he held my arms up with one hand. With the other, he ran his fingers through my hair and then popped the buttons from my shirt and ripped my panties off my body. The slight pain felt good. He parted my legs wider, and I leaned my head against the wall.

"Can I tell you what I want you to do to me, sir?" Each time I said it, he tightened his grasp. I could feel his hardness against my body, and I knew he wanted me, and that alone gave me great satisfaction. To know that I was in control and that he still wanted me, sexually. I didn't struggle, I wanted him to take me, and if he wouldn't, I would drive him just as crazy as he drove me. Payback was a bitch.

With two fingers, he ran his hand between my legs and felt the wetness.

"Mmm. You're enjoying this aren't you?"

"Only if you want me to, sir."

My eyes rolled in the back of my head as he touched my magic button. I tried to hold back a moan, but couldn't.

"Do you want me to like it, sir?" I whispered as I traced the bottom of his ear with my lips.

He continued to pin my arms as he loosened his tie, and unbuttoned his shirt. Muscles. The shirt dropped to the floor.

"I do," he said, and released my arms.

He undid his belt and unbuttoned his pants. His hardness wanted me just as I wanted him. As I reached to unzip his pants, he grabbed my wrists and slammed them above my head again.

"No. No. Luketon wouldn't like if his virgin no longer had a cherry for him to pop. And if you start this, I can't guarantee I would fucking stop."

I laughed.

"Not you. You would never lose control, sir."

My words were soft, sensual, pure sex.

"You must not know me very well. Not very well at all."

Then his lips crashed into mine and our tongues wrestled with one another. Aggressive lips kissed me with such intensity; I barely caught my breath. He broke away, his pants fell to the floor and he stood in front of me in only boxers. I grabbed the bottom of his lip with my mouth and our lips mingled with one another again. Kisses. Kisses I so desperately wanted and needed. Forbidden kisses that could get me fired quicker than a heartbeat.

Finn slid his thumbs under the elastic band of his boxers. I leaned back, smiled, and waited to see him naked for the first time, hoping that I finally would get to feel him inside me.

"Oh, Jennifer. I've…" Finn hesitated.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Jesse stood in the doorway.

"Fucking hell," Finnley said coldly as he pulled up his pants and adjusted his belt.

"Get dressed, Jennifer. We have to prepare you for Friday," Jesse said, and then glanced at Finnley. He was the only reason I didn't get my ass chewed up and spit out.

Our eyes met, and I could feel the raw lust pulling us together like a magnet, hoping we finally would snap together. He clenched his jaw and stormed from the room. Jesse gave me a "you're a dirty little whore, and you're fired" look simultaneously with pursed lips. I opened my mouth to protest, but she held up a hand and went to Finn. The unfinished sentence that he started would haunt me for the rest of the day.

"That can never fucking happen again," Jesse yelled in the kitchen. "Never. Now I have to bring her fucking shopping when I should be firing her ass!"

I walked into the room and saw Finn leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. Paisley stood beside him. Once we made eye contact, he left without a word. Fucking fantastic.

"Ready?" Jesse asked with a vengeance in her voice.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I said, not adding "which is never" to the end of my phrase.

"Luketon has something extremely special planned for you. Our goal is to find a few things that will fit the occasion. New wardrobe, lingerie, haircut, waxing—the whole nine yards. I know how much you love to shop for lingerie," Paisley said to me.

Jesse snatched a set of keys from the counter along with her purse. Once outside, I saw V zooming away. Finn had left like a bat out of hell. I sighed and let regret flood over me. Admittedly, I shouldn't have brought it to that level. I should have stopped while I was ahead. But I couldn't. Deep inside I needed to know how he felt. I didn't give two shits about anything else.

I didn't say a word as I climbed into the passenger seat.

Jesse sighed loudly, wanting to say something to me, daring me to say something to her. Instead, I stared out the window and watched the people in the passing cars.

"Jennifer. Don't you ever put Finnley in that situation again. I fucking swear if you do, I will have your ass shipped back to Texas so fast that you won't know what fucking hit you."

Jesse pulled the car to the side of the road and grabbed the bottom of my face, forcing me to look at her.

"You think you're so smart. That I don't see through your little sweet, innocent virgin game? Just know that if Luketon hadn't paid what he did for you, I would've fired you on the spot weeks ago. Consider this your warning. If you and Finn 'just happen' again, you're fucking gone."

She didn't have to say anything else, and I had nothing to add. Another moment passed, and Jesse released the stronghold on my face. Rage flared inside of me, and I swallowed angry tears back. I wouldn't give her joy of knowing how pissed I was.

Back on the road, back toward the city, and I was back on track to fulfill all Luketon's sexual desires. I always imagined my first time with a man would be with someone I loved and respected. Someone who would make love to me until the sun rose. Someone who would hold me in his arms and tell me how beautiful I was. But the first time I had sex, it would be for money. How cheap did that make me?

We pulled into Ester's, and I unbuckled, but hesitated before opening the door. Who the fuck did Jesse think she was? Enough was enough. I turned and looked at her with so much hate and anger that I thought I saw her shudder.

"If you ever touch me like that again, you'll wish you wouldn't have. Consider that your warning, bitch," I said. The shock and anger that covered her face warmed my little angry heart. I gently shut the door and heard the slamming of hers.

The bell above the door rang and the smell of incense filled Ester's.

"Hey, Jennifer. It's nice to see you again. Can I help you with something?"

"Yep, big night on Friday. I need something extra sexy and extra special."

Belinda walked over to a smoky gray corset with cream lace lined through the sides.

"It arrived yesterday, and if I remember correctly, it's your size. It was a special gift from a European designer and sent straight to the store. A nice little surprise, I thought."

She handed it to me with a smile and pointed toward the dressing room. "Let me know if you need any help," she said.

The detailing and thread, which was also cream-colored, looked hand sewn. Whoever made this took pride in their work, and if it fit, I would take pride in wearing it. I removed my clothes and couldn't wait to feel the soft silk and lace on my body. Like the glass slipper in Cinderella, every piece of the wonderfully handcrafted lingerie fit perfectly. I laced up back as tight as I could, and smiled.

"How's it going in there, honey?" I heard her say from the front counter.

"You have to see this, Belinda. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever worn."

I lifted my hair above my neck and checked out my backside as footsteps travel down the hallway. She would be so thrilled to see how well it fit. The doorknob jiggled, and I unlocked it.

"See how well it fits my hips?" I dropped my hair and focused on jade green eyes.

Finn.

"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he said.

I swallowed. I opened my mouth and closed it.