Seduction: The Billionaire's Bride of Vengeance

In hindsight, Nicole could see that she’d acted more like a virgin bride than the woman of the world Russell must have thought he was taking to bed. Not only had she run true to form by letting the man do everything again, but she’d also gone all gooey afterwards.

The thought that Russell might be in that bathroom, wondering why he’d wanted her so much, brought a groan of dismay. It was patently obvious, now that her brain was re-engaged, that sex with her hadn’t lived up to his expectations.

Nicole groaned a second time. Why hadn’t she insisted he take her in the car?

She’d wanted him to.

Nicole vowed then and there that when Russell emerged from that bathroom, she would be a lot more adventurous and assertive. She would not wait to be touched or kissed. She’d do the touching and kissing first.

She was lying there, working up the courage to put her thoughts into action, when a flash of lightning lit up the huge balcony outside the master bedroom. Almost immediately, there was the most deafening crack of thunder and Nicole felt the bed under her actually shake.

And then all the lights went out.

Nicole didn’t scream, which was an achievement of the highest order.

But she was clutching the sheet up around her throat when she heard the bathroom door open.

‘You all right?’ Russell called out to her through the darkness.

‘Yes,’ she managed to answer without sounding too much like a frightened rabbit.

‘I’ll see if it’s just us that’s blacked out,’ he continued matter-of-factly, ‘or the whole neighbourhood.’

More flashes of lightning gave Nicole a good view of Russell as he crossed the room, heading for the French windows which opened onto the balcony. He was still naked, she noted, with the sexiest butt she’d ever seen.

Nicole found herself hoping that all of Sydney was blacked out. Then Russell wouldn’t be able to do anything but come back to bed.

‘Bloody hell,’ he swore after he’d opened one of the windows, then swiftly pulled it shut again. ‘It’s frigging freezing out there.’

‘Come back to bed, then,’ she heard herself suggesting with some of that boldness which she’d vowed to embrace. ‘I’ll warm you up in no time.’ Goodness! Had that sounded too slutty?

‘I’m sure you could,’ he said with a wry little laugh. ‘And trust me, I’ll take you up on that promise in about ten seconds. But first, I need to know the extent of this blackout.’

This time, when he opened the door, Nicole heard rain, great heavy drops, hitting various surfaces. The lightning had retreated for the moment, leaving the balcony—and the bedroom—in complete darkness.

‘Well, it’s not just this house,’ he informed her on re-entering a short time later. ‘The whole local area is blacked out. But the lights over in the city are still on. It’s the same with the bridge and the north shore. Which means at least James’s wedding night won’t be spoiled. And that reminds me …’

When he lifted the duvet and dived in next to her, Nicole stiffened. It was a last-minute attack of nerves, not a response to his chilled skin, but she decided to pretend the latter was the case.

‘Oh, you poor darling,’ she murmured as she forced herself to snuggle up to his side. But she struggled to keep her hand from trembling as it landed in the middle of his chest before beginning a somewhat tentative journey downwards. ‘You are cold.’

‘Not for long, I’ll warrant,’ he returned in a voice which, in the pitch black, sounded strangely edgy.

Her heart leapt when her fingers grazed the tip of his manhood. So did Russell’s, if the abrupt expansion in his chest was anything to go by.

Nicole took a deep breath. This was alien territory to her. She’d never deliberately caressed any man like this before. Or—heaven forbid—taken one into her mouth. She couldn’t imagine liking the taste or the experience.

The thought sent a weird little shudder down her spine. Not a shudder of outright revulsion, more a shudder of fear that she might make a total hash of it.

For, surely, Russell would have had scores of experienced partners who knew exactly how to perform to perfection.

Nicole’s nervous swallow was swiftly followed by an irritated purse of her lips. Don’t be such a coward, she lectured herself. Just do the best you can. Think of him as an ice cream, one of those choc-tops you used to buy at the movies and which you always tried to make last as long as you could.

When her hand encircled him, his groan startled her, her head jerking up to stare at where she imagined his face was.

‘You don’t want me to do this?’ she choked out.

‘You know I do,’ he growled back.

She hadn’t known any such thing.

The reassurance of his words, however, gave her a decided buzz. And the courage to continue.

Levering herself up into the darkness, Nicole leant over him.

Once again, he groaned. This time, though, Nicole recognised the sound for what it was.

Excitement.

She felt his flesh swell even further.

His being turned-on turned her on. Suddenly, what she was about to do no longer smacked of desperation but of desire. She actually wanted to make love to him with her mouth.

Amazing!

Russell braced himself for the first contact of her lips. But it was no use. He simply had no weapons against the feelings which had begun rampaging through him the moment she touched him.

He bit back another groan as her mouth encircled him, making his back arch up from the bed and his body break out into a sweat.

She stopped immediately, but she didn’t say anything or let him go. The room became deathly silent except for his own heavy breathing, a good twenty seconds ticking away before the sheer power of his need forced him to speak.

‘Don’t stop,’ he said in a voice that contained more plea than order.

He almost cried out with relief when she actually took him all the way into her mouth.

There was certainly nothing of the ingénue act any more, any illusion of innocence obliterated by the expertise she was now demonstrating. Russell began wondering how many other men she’d enslaved in this way.

Was she playing him like a fish?

Either way, Russell, my boy, you should be lying back and enjoying her well-practised skills, not gnashing your teeth and working yourself up into an emotional lather over her past. That is Nicole Power down there, the daughter of your enemy. What better revenge than to have her service you in this subjugated fashion?

He should not have been worried. He should have been triumphant. But as his swollen flesh teetered on the brink of release, Russell could not get past the thought that he was in danger of becoming the victim here, not her. This would be his humiliation, not hers.

But, oh … the sensations she was evoking were intoxicatingly seductive. All he had to do was surrender and the most mind-blowing climax would be his. He was close now. Achingly, agonisingly close, his eyes squeezing tightly shut as his flesh strained towards release. He felt her lips tighten around him.

It was no use, he accepted with a raw cry and gave up his struggle for control.

Surprisingly, Russell experienced no sense of humiliation, only ecstasy, followed by the most blissful peace.