Free Tackling Her Heart by Alexandra O'Hurley Page A

warm water relaxed her tired
muscles, just as Marc had intended. Looking out at the spectacular
view, she wondered what it felt like to live like this. Even in her
modeling heyday, she’d been shipped all over the world, often
staying in decent rooms, but never this kind of extravagance.
People always assumed she was rich, but she wasn’t. Sure, she’d
been a working model for many years, but once she’d paid agents and
coaches and the like, she hadn’t had all that much left
over.
    She wasn’t one to waste money on
luxuries. Sofia knew she more than likely had an expiration date on
her career, so she tucked away as much as she could into savings.
Even her gig now, while nice, didn’t afford her the kind of
lifestyle a decade in the NFL and numerous sponsorship deals had
allowed Marc.
    Sofia washed her body after soaking as
long as she thought was acceptable. She didn’t want to wear out her
welcome on the very first day. Climbing out of the tub, she
wondered what Marc was doing out there. She heard murmuring and
moving about. Grabbing a towel, she dried off and then pulled the
offered robe about herself.
    Once she was done, she peeked out into
the bedroom, but he wasn’t there. She headed through to the living
space, so she could gather her bathing suit and head out, but
something caught her attention. Sofia paused, turning to look at
the end of the bed.
    Her bags were lying there.

Chapter Nine
     
    Marc ran as fast as his feet would
take him, his heavy footfalls shaking the poor excuse for a
treadmill. He was still amped up from his time with Sofia, his body
still ready for more. She wasn’t. It was obvious Sofia wasn’t used
to the kind of sex he enjoyed, and she didn’t have the libido he
did, either. Marc’s lusts were strong, and he was often lusty, but
he seemed almost insatiable with Sofia.
    It didn’t help knowing she was lying
naked in that bathtub. He was jealous of the water.
    Exercise was the next best thing to
tire him out. He’d held back with Sofia, scared he’d chase her away
if he took everything he’d wanted. She hadn’t seen the paddle or
the flogger in his box, and she wouldn’t—yet.
    But soon.
    Soon, he would feel his hand stinging
from laying swats on that lovely, round ass of hers. Her light
caramel skin would look lovely a nice, deep shade of pink. Just as
lovely as her pink mouth had looked wrapped around his
cock.
    He picked up his pace, his cock
already hard again. Exhaustion was his only salvation.
    “ Why are my bags in your
room?”
    Marc slowed and looked over his
shoulder. His first thought was that Sofia was naked under her robe
and he wanted it off. He picked up the pace once more, punishing
the treadmill. “Total access,” he spat.
    “ You’re just bandying that
phrase around as if it’s an excuse for your testosterone-fueled
control fixation. I wish I’d never said it.”
    Marc slowed the treadmill
to a stop and then jumped off. He closed some of the space, trying
not to get too close. He’d worked up a major sweat and she’d just
bathed. Not that it mattered much. He planned to dirty her up some
more soon. “You wanted to see who I was. So now that you see it,
don’t back away. You’re the one who wanted total access, and you’ve
got it. You’ll stay in this room, with me, and you’ll write your
story here —where
I can control who gets to see it. If you can’t agree to that, then
you can call the whole thing off.”
    Sofia stood there, blinking, her mouth
working, but no words came for a few moments. “Fine. I stay here.
Under your thumb.”
    “ Oh you’ll be under
something, but it won’t be my thumb,” he said, a ruthless feeling
churning in his gut. Yeah, he was being a dick, but she seemed to
bring out the worst in him. And some of the best. Being inside her
body had felt almost magical. For a jaded man such as himself,
someone who made things feel different, new—well that was worth its
weight in gold. If he was stuck, exiled in paradise,