The Pleasure Principle Read online

  Alice was surprised when a third person entered the room, also bearing trays. He was younger than the other two and resembled the elder caretaker a little. His hair looked like it’d been freshly combed back and his clothes were clean and pressed. He stared at her openly for about two seconds before Jacob swatted him on the back of the head. The young man’s face screwed up in protest, but he didn’t utter a word as the three retreated from the room and into the hall.

  “Can I go now, Grandpa?” She heard a petulant voice as they walked away.

  “Not until dinner is over.” That was Jacob, and there was no challenging his tone.

  “That’s their grandson, Elijah, in case you’re wondering.” Julian’s voice cut through the distraction and she realized she’d had her head turned and was looking down the hall.

  “I’m sorry. I’m not very good with meeting new people, so I hope I haven’t offended anyone.” He was going to think she was raised in a barn, the way her manners were today.

  “I admit, I’m surprised a little by that. You seem like a very nice person and you’re not hard to look at, either.” His grin was wolfish and he didn’t seem a bit ashamed of it.

  “I’m shy.” There was the understatement of the year. And it probably wasn’t going to be enough.

  “Uh huh. Smart, too, I’ll bet. In fact, I’ve been wondering how your name got on the guest list at Damsels…since I am the only one who adds guests, to ensure discretion.”

  “You knew from the beginning?” Her cheeks flamed hotter than before and she wanted to sink into her chair. Caught again.

  “It wasn’t as if I could possibly turn you away.” He sighed dramatically. “I just had to resign myself to keeping a close eye on you throughout the night.”

  “You broke the rules for me. Why did you do that?”

  “My club, my rules to break.” He said it simply, but Alice was stunned. She hadn’t known Damsels was his, literally his. Good God, he could be with anyone he wanted to in the world right now and he was spending time with her.

  “You better eat some of this lamb Emma whipped up, or her feelings are going to be hurt.” Julian changed the subject fast and Alice was relieved. Maybe he could tell she was uncomfortable; he seemed to read her so well.

  The food was delicious and Julian managed to make small talk as they ate. A nice red wine followed the white and before she knew it, she was telling him about her graphic art collection and how passionate she was about her own designs. It was rare for her to discuss it with anyone, but deep inside, her artwork was the one thing she was really proud of.

  “So…” He slowly pulled his words and looked her in the eye. “You’re kind, beautiful, smart, and creative? Are you in the witness protection program or something?”

  Alice laughed out loud and covered her mouth with her napkin. He had to be kidding. Well, she knew she was smart. The rest was hard to take in, so she decided to pass over the question. It was warm in the room with the candles blazing all around her, and she dabbed at a bit of ladylike perspiration on her cheek.

  “Would you like to step outside a while for some fresh air?” Again, so attentive to her needs. “Emma keeps the garden out back and we’ve got some walking trails along the edge of the property line.”

  She nodded and he got up, coming around the table to pull out her chair. Wherever his manners came from, he clearly wasn’t raised in a barn. They walked through the corridor and into the kitchen. Emma was packing up dinner and Elijah sat at the table, kicking the heels of his shoes against the tiles. His eyes lit up when he saw them.

  “Can I go now? I swear I’ll be right back,” he pleaded with Jacob, and the elderly caretaker nodded. He was off like a shot before Alice could thank him again.

  “Kid turns 19 years old and thinks everything in the world revolves around him,” Jacob chuckled. Emma rolled her eyes and went back to the dishes, but there was a smile on her face.

  “We’re going to walk out back for a bit.” Julian surprised her by taking her hand.

  “Nice night for it, too. You kids be careful out there. We’ll leave the porch light on.” Alice noticed Emma had her old apron back on for the dishes. She’d never known her grandmother, but if she had, she wanted her to be just like Emma.

  “If you have a minute, I’m making one last trip to the hardware store before they close tonight. If you want to authorize this list, I’ll be on my way.” Jacob pulled a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket and held it out. It was even warmer in the kitchen and Alice unconsciously fanned her face with her hand.

  “You go on out. Just stay on the path and I’ll catch up to you in a minute.” Julian released her hand and nodded to Jacob at the same time.

  She was eager to get some fresh air, so the idea of starting out by herself didn’t bother her a bit. In fact, she thought the time alone might help her gather her thoughts before she came under Julian’s spell again.

  The kitchen door opened onto the back portion of the veranda. The night sky was dark blue, almost black, but the moon was rising and it was full. She stepped off the porch and silver light caressed her skin. Fresh flowers bloomed in the garden, and the path was clearly visible through the middle. Their fragrance was as delicious as the wine she’d had earlier, and she wandered along, touching the petals, careful not to damage them. Alice never did have the heart to pick a flower, knowing it would live a lot longer than the small amount of time she’d enjoy it in a vase.

  The path led to a tree line, and she slipped into the darkness of the boughs overhead. Alice knew she was safe on the property; he’d told her it was fenced in. In fact, it would be fun to play a little game—go off the trail and see if he could find her. The trees were beautiful old souls that had lived for generations on the land. A mantle of peace fell on her shoulders and she wondered when she’d ever felt so free.

  The night was alive with sound. Crickets sang through the trees, and somewhere in the distance a bullfrog croaked out a deep and steady baritone beneath it all. If Julian did find her off the path, she’d never hear him sneak up on her.

  Alice ducked to avoid the Spanish moss that draped from the trees like old lace, enchanted by the way nature dressed these beautiful ladies of the forest. If the moon hadn’t been full, she’d have a hard time seeing, but the gentle light softly illuminated everything. Still, there were deep shadows all around her that could hide secrets.

  That was why she didn’t see the couple until she’d almost stumbled on them at the fence. She recognized the grandson, Elijah, pressed against the cool iron slats that made up the back of the property line and almost apologized out loud before she realized they hadn’t noticed her intrusion.

  Alice slipped back into the shadows of the trees, looking over her shoulder to make sure they didn’t hear her retreat. She could hear them, however, and even though she didn’t want to eavesdrop, she couldn’t help herself because they were talking about Brax.

  “He just showed up tonight, I didn’t know he was coming.” His voice was low and pleading. The woman on the other side of the fence dropped a bottle of wine on the ground and put her hands on her hips.

  “It’s my birthday and you promised.” Tears choked her up her words. “I told my mom I was going out with my friends. She’d kill me if she knew I was still seeing you, and now you can’t even make it!”

  “Baby, I’m sorry. You know I am. But my grandpa would kill me if I wasn’t there to do my job when the boss was in town.” He slipped his arms through the fence and pulled her close to the bars.

  He whispered something to her gently and she nodded, stripping off her jean jacket and letting it fall to the ground. He returned the favor and pulled his shirt off. Alice saw a flash of tan skin and hard abs before he pressed against the woman through the bars.

  “Damn, this fence is cold! Can’t you come over for a minute?” She teased him with her lips between words, and he groaned against her cheek.

  “God, I wish I could, but I don’t have time to go around to the
gate. Give me something before I go, so I’ll think about you tonight.” He ran his hands over her hips, firmly pulling her hard against the barrier between them.

  Alice was frozen in place, her heart pounding. She knew she should slip away but her legs were weak, shaking from the passionate scene unfolding in front of her. It was like the night at the feast, except this was different. This was voyeurism, and a secret tryst that both parties needed so badly they were willing to risk everything to be together.

  She shouldn’t be there. She shouldn’t watch. Her breath came in ragged gasps.

  Elijah pulled the top of the girl’s dress down and exposed her large breasts. She thrust them through the bars and roughly entwined her fingers in his hair, guiding his lips to her nipples. He eagerly took them in his mouth, feasting on her like a starving man. She whimpered and pressed her abdomen against one of the rods along the fence, grinding rhythmically with her hips.

  “I love you. I need you. Please. I won’t make it through the night.” He begged her through mouthfuls of her rounded flesh.

  “Me too. I want to taste you in my mouth.” The girl dropped to her knees and a zipper slowly gave way. Elijah grabbed the bars with both hands and his head fell back in ecstasy as she slid him between her lips. His eyes widened for a moment.

  Had he seen her spying in the shadows?

  Alice broke free from her trance and bolted from the scene. She was ashamed and aroused at the same time. Thoughts of what it would be like to do that with Julian excited her. It was something she’d never done before. Though she’s witnessed the tryst between two other people, it made her long to have the experience for herself.

  Alice jogged back long the path toward the house. I want to feel that way too, she thought. Maybe Anderson hadn’t wanted her, but she would do her best to temp Brax into giving her what she needed.

  She’d never seduced a man before. The idea was terrifying and exhilarating all at once. Would she be any good at it? It was time to find out.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Damn woman, Brax thought as he knocked back another scotch on the rocks. She was as skittish as a newborn doe in an open field and just as unpredictable. Sure, he’d taken longer than he should have with Jacob when she went out the back door alone, but that was no reason for her to get pissed off and come flying back up the path, running smack into him in the woods.

  When he’d asked her what was wrong, she flushed and said she wanted to go inside…quickly. Hopefully the bath Emma drew for her would calm her down, and he could finally see what was going on inside that beautiful head of hers. As if he had a chance in hell of understanding her anyway. Women were a whole other animal to him, and this one must be their Queen for all the ways he couldn’t figure her out.

  The fire roared in the parlor. After the caretakers had left for the evening, Julian built it up high, the intense flames a reflection of his feelings. What was he doing with her? And bringing her here to top it all off. He had firm rules about women, and he’d never allowed any of them into his home in the past. He was actually surprised Emma didn’t fall over right on the porch when she saw he’d brought a girl with him.

  Besides, he had a deal with Anders. He and his best friend had been closer than any of the women who had come and gone over the years. Julian always considered his friendship with the scientist the most important one in his life. Meeting Alicia had changed everything, and it wasn’t even because of anything she’d done. It was because of who she was.

  Bare feet slapped lightly on the floorboards in the hallway and drew him out of his reverie. It had to be her. He tightly gripped the scotch glass and forced himself to stare at the fire. Julian smelled the scent of lavender first, probably some kind of soap or perfume Emma had given her. Or maybe it came from his cousin’s room. They still had wardrobes full of her clothes and things she couldn’t be bothered to pick up.

  Alicia walked beside the chair and stood in front of the fire to face him.

  Sweet Jesus. She wore a white linen nightgown with delicate lace around the neckline. He could see the outline of her nipples though the thin fabric and the shadow between her legs where her soft, damp hair curled on her mound. He instantly became hard to the point where it was painful. His head spun, maybe from the liquor, maybe from blood loss.

  “I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to upset you…if I did.” And she took a step toward him.

  Dammit, he couldn’t do this! Wet hair dripped onto her shoulders and her flimsy gown soaked up the moisture as it clung to her skin. He wanted to taste her so badly, open her up with his fingers and run his tongue along the sweet folds of her crevice to bury himself in her scent. His hands shook slightly and the ice cubes in his glass rattled. Brax secured his scotch on the surface of the end table, but that left his hands empty and he didn’t know if he could control himself.

  * * *

  Alice didn’t know what to do. She was afraid Julian would be angry with the way she acted toward him in the garden, but there was no way she could have explained how she was feeling at that moment. And the sight of him in the moonlight as she ran up the path escalated her desire a hundredfold. All she could then was let Emma take her away to run a bath.

  Now that she stood in front of him, she could see how mad he was. His eyes were almost all the way closed and his hands shook with anger. And could she really blame him? She’d been acting ridiculous the whole time they’d been together. Her plan to seduce him had fallen to pieces when Emma laid out the plain white nightgown she was wearing. How could she possibly entice him with that on? She’d seen the women at his club, in their fancy dresses and fancier lingerie.

  He probably just wanted to go to bed and get this failure of a night over with. Letting him accomplish that was the least she could do, after all the trouble he’d gone to for her that day.

  “Thank you for dinner.” Alice walked up to him in his chair and set her hand on his shoulder. When he didn’t move, she leaned in and kissed him good night on his forehead.

  Julian flew out his chair, catching her around the waist and lifting off the ground her like she was a rag doll. His movements were quick and strong, and she found herself pinned against the wall on the other side of the parlor before she could draw a breath. The entire length of his body covered her, held her helpless against him, and she felt the desire he had for her clearly against her abdomen.

  It should have terrified her, the utterly captive state he forced her into, but instead it sent a shivering thrill through her body that ended with an ache between her legs. The indescribable pleasure that coursed through her veins at the pure dominance he had over her spiked a newfound lust deep inside that drove her wild with need.

  His pupils dilated until his eyes were almost black. He was fiercely beautiful, like an angel, with the heart of a demon that wanted her soul. Oh God, he could siphon it from her right now and she would give it eagerly. The thought of the pleasure he could take from her left her breathless. Julian Brax possessed her down to the very core of her being, and she was a willing participant.

  The doorbell chimed.

  Julian exhaled slowly, the intoxicating scent of scotch on his breath. Alice wanted to taste his lips, his mouth, to be the thing he drank in that gave him so much pleasure.

  Please, don’t let it ring again.

  Fists pounded on the door, sloppy and irregular thrusts. Whoever was outside wasn’t going away, and Julian thought the same way because he slowly released his hold on her. Alice was shocked to find that she’d been two feet off the ground the entire time as she slid down the wall, helped by his steadying hand.

  “Go upstairs and put on a robe.” His voice was rough, protective. And it definitely wasn’t a request.

  Alice nodded, crossing her arms over her chest as she padded across the floor on the warm wood. The carpeted stairs quieted her footfalls, and she noticed Julian didn’t approach the door until he was sure she was safely at the top of the steps.

  She spied from the landin
g as Julian braced himself, fists clenched, to swing the door open and meet their uninvited guest.

  Anderson Cain stumbled into the foyer, a depleted bottle of bourbon in one hand. Before Julian could say a word, his friend sprawled on the ground, smashing the glass at his feet.

  * * *

  Anderson couldn’t understand what he’d done to ruin their date. Everything with Alicia had seemed so right. For the first time in his life he’d felt something he never would have believed existed before: love.

  When she didn’t answer her mobile, he thought he’d stop by her apartment with the CD from the bar. When she didn’t answer her buzzer, he left it there, along with the flowers he’d brought. Dozens of flowers that were currently wilting on the step outside her building.

  “Dr. Cain, don’t you think we should go now?” Johnson rolled down the window of his town car and gave him a pitying look. Anderson wasn’t sure he cared for it, either.

  The truth was, he’d always turned to Brax for advice with women. But this time, the first time ever, they had the same interests. His mind and heart were deeply divided. The only thing he could do was trust in his best friend. And that meant going to him with this no matter what conflict they had.

  Anderson nudged the vase of flowers into the shade and propped the CD up against it. Maybe she’d come back and see them there. Or maybe he’d read her all wrong the night before and fooled himself into thinking she felt something for him.

  Johnson had that smugly pathetic look on his face as he held the car door open. Anderson tried to ignore him, focusing on the new bottle of bourbon in the back. His scientific mind knew the answer was never in the bottom of the bottle, but his heart ached and he wanted to take the edge off somehow.

  By the time the car pulled into the courtyard at Damsels he was a little unsteady on his feet. It didn’t take him long to find out Brax had left for the country that morning. Maybe his friend needed someone to talk to just as badly as he did. A pang of guilt stabbed his chest. Both of them were too stubborn to help each other when their friendship needed it most. Well, he was going to make up for that.