Free Seductive Affair (Bend To My Will #2) by Emily Jane Trent Page B

here,” she said, stepping across the stone terrace. Jacob handed her a drink.
    “What is this?
    “It’s called French Connection, inspired by Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris .”
    The bubbly concoction had a red hue. “What’s in it?”
    “Cognac, fresh raspberries, and sparkling white wine.”
    Vivienne took a sip. “I like this.” On an empty stomach, she feared the potent mixture would quickly affect her. “Are you trying to get me drunk?” She smiled. “So you can have your way with me?”
    Jacob laughed, making her realize that he didn’t do that often enough. He pulled out a chair for her, then sat beside her. After he took a sip of his drink, his expression turned serious. He took her hand. “Vivienne,” he said.
    Unsure whether Jacob was going to ask a question or make a confession, Vivienne kept quiet.
    “Did you mean what you said upstairs?” Jacob said. “That you won’t turn away from me?” He looked into her eyes. “That you won’t refuse me?”
    Before replying, Vivienne took another sip, hoping the alcohol would calm her nerves. This was it. If she said yes, that was a commitment. As much as she wanted to agree, uncertainty nagged at her. “What if I…don’t measure up?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Jacob, you are experienced, and you’ve been with women before me. Many women, I expect.” Vivienne glanced out into the darkness. “What if I disappoint you?” She hadn’t realized how much that worried her until she said it.
    “Is that what’s making you hesitate?” Jacob set his drink on the table beside hers. Then he took her hands in his. “Vivienne, you could not disappoint me. You must know that. I crave you and want to give you…pleasure.”
    “And pain?” Vivienne shouldn’t have blurted that out, but she knew Jacob had gone easy on her so far.
    “You misunderstand. It’s all for your pleasure.” Jacob squeezed her hands. “I will guide you. All you must do is: be willing.” His voice lowered. “Are you? Will you try?”
    Vivienne’s heart swelled. She cared so much about Jacob. Couldn’t he see that? How could he doubt that ultimately she would say yes? “Of course. I’ll try. I want to be with you.” She swallowed. “I can’t imagine any other man making me feel the way you do.”
    Jacob relaxed and leaned back in his chair. “That makes me very happy,” he said. “There is one more thing…”
    What else could there be?
    “I ask that you keep what we do just between us,” Jacob said. “It’s private. And being a wealthy man puts me in the limelight. I’d rather our relationship stay ours , and does not become fodder for the tabloids.”
    “I wouldn’t tell anyone,” Vivienne said. She didn’t make a habit of sharing the details of her sex life. Then she frowned. “I can’t tell Lana that I’m seeing you every weekend? That’s going to be weird. She’s my closest friend. I have to be able to talk to her.”
    Jacob considered that. “I want you to be comfortable with our arrangement. If discussing things with Lana is important to you, then I approve. But still, I’m not fond of the idea of you revealing what we do in the playroom.”
    Vivienne’s cheeks warmed. “I didn’t mean that. I wouldn’t…do that. It’s kind of…” She searched for the right word. Embarrassing didn’t quite fit, because she didn’t feel that way about what she shared with Jacob. “It’s, as you say, private .”
    “That’s agreeable, then.” Jacob handed her drink back to her and took his. “We’ll talk more when we return to New York.”
    A thought occurred to Vivienne. “You have a playroom there, too?”
    Jacob nodded. “Yes, larger than this one. You haven’t been to my penthouse yet. We will have to remedy that.”
    Yes, we will . “I think you better feed me,” Vivienne said. “This fizzy drink is making me giddy.”
    Clara’s timing couldn’t have been better. She came out to the terrace with a tray of steaming food.