Boyfriend in a Bottle Read online

  Her heart gave a flip in premature excitement. She squashed the desire before it could get loose. There would be no sex with strange men from bottles. But a kiss…

  A birthday kiss. Surely there was no harm in a kiss?

  Josie rested her knee on the edge of the bed. She balanced one toe on the floor. Her hand hovered over his muscled chest, defined without being excessive. No, she wouldn’t touch him. If she did, her resistance would melt like wax in a flame. Her hand landed on the other side of him on the bed. Only a few inches separated their bodies. This close, his eyes were a dark, smoky grey, and all their heat was directed at her. The scent of spice and orange and smoke was coming from his skin. Would he taste like the bottle?

  Her tongue darted over her lip. She glanced once more at the hourglass. The last teaspoon of sand was trickling away. She couldn’t waste the chance. Clumsy from lack of practice, her lips collided with his.

  Kede kissed as if his life depended on it. Because it did. He didn’t want to go back into the crystalline prison he called home. This kiss would reset the sand timer and determine how long he had in the world. With centuries of skill he used his lips, teeth, tongue to kiss this woman. This woman who had called him into service and freed him, if only for a moment in time. From one kiss, Kede learned her every desire, even the ones she kept secret from herself. They flitted through his head, an erotic private film of what-ifs and wishes.

  The bonds around his wrists didn’t loosen. That he was trapped chaffed—not that it hadn’t happened before. One lick and he was flung into the most appropriate place for the woman to make her choice. Many licks had resulted in a visit that ended without a kiss before the last grain of sand fell. Enough to tempt him with a taste of the world before it was snatched away.

  Her tongue responded to his searching, but hesitated like she wasn’t sure. Usually if a woman got this far they knew exactly what they wanted from him and all he had to do was play along. He raked his teeth over her lip and was rewarded with a tiny mew of pleasure as if she didn’t want to admit she was enjoying the kiss. She pulled back, her lips pink and puffy, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. But her skin glowed, her rapid breathing a sign he was doing his job.

  His eyes roamed over her supple, curvy, black clad body and a smile formed. For a change, this service would be a pleasure for him. He could teach her to let go and have fun, and in the process have fun himself. And it would be over too soon. He hid his sigh in a breath. A night, a week, a year—the timer decided. The more open a woman was to her dreams, the faster the sand would run. And he was powerless to slow the sand’s fall. The desire to please was as part of him as skin and bone. All he could do was hasten his return to the bottle. As he pleased the woman, the sand would move faster, racing towards the completion of the spell that had set him free. It was Inanna’s fail-safe to make sure no Inanu lingered. They were compelled to do their job, and do it well even though it would end their stay. He glanced at the timer. The familiar red sand now filled the top and fell slowly down. He had more than tonight. For that he was glad. It had been a long time since he was out.

  The woman pouted and frowned. She glared at the knots in the red rope. “You’re still tied to my bed.”

  He tensed and tested the silken rope again. If it hadn’t come undone by now, something more was required. He was intrigued. This was how he’d been called, yet she was resisting him. He wasn’t uncomfortable, but if his hands were free they would be exploring every inch of her skin, making her scream with passion. Maybe that was the problem; she didn’t know how to scream.

  Her nimble fingers worked the knots again. The silk lay smooth against his skin. Her breath tickled, teasing, while her dark blond hair hung in a curtain, hiding her face from view. Kede inhaled perfume, wine, make-up. His mind lurched. She’d been out.

  “Do you have a partner?” He’d faced the wrath of a deceived lover more than once, but never tied up. On a couple of occasions his bottle had almost been smashed. There had been times when he’d wished for such a casual death.

  She glanced at him, and a shadow crossed her features. “I live here alone.” She fiddled again with the bindings. Then sat back, defeated. “Would it matter?”

  Her eyes were blue, flecked with gold. They would judge his response. He couldn’t lie to her.

  “No. I am here for you.” Until his job was done he couldn’t leave. Only the woman who had released him from the bottle could send him back before her fantasies were satisfied. And only then if it was a heartfelt desire.

  She nodded. “Well, I want to go to bed.”

  He shivered, his body aching for her touch. It had been a long time since a woman had been in his arms. As he learned her fantasies, he came to crave what she wanted. Her desires became his, so pleasing her would also make him happy. That was how it used to work, how it was supposed to work, but lately he longed for more even if he didn’t know what that more was.

  “I’m getting scissors.” She got off the bed and disappeared out the door, almost running. Not giving him time to form a reasonable explanation as to why the rope didn’t undo.

  She reappeared with a large pair of scissors. His stomach shrank at the sight of twin metal blades. It was all he could do not to flinch as she brought them close to his skin. Being tied meant being vulnerable and he didn’t like that feeling, or the way it made his life seem as fragile as glass. She ignored his body and hacked at the rope. He let her try, knowing it wouldn’t work. The rope would respond to her desires. Cutting him free wasn’t one of them.

  “I can’t cut through it.” She dropped the scissors on the little table next to the sand timer.

  “You wanted the rope there.” Kede searched through her desires. “You wanted me at your mercy.” He eyed the scissors, but nothing in her dreams spoke of cruelty. “Under your control,” he corrected.

  Her lips parted a fraction. Her gaze raked him from head to toes. A lesser man would have been embarrassed at the scrutiny. But he could more than meet her needs, fill her lusts and show her tricks she’d never imagined. No woman could resist him once she’d chosen to finish the spell with a kiss. His cock swelled under her gaze, and a heavy ache filled his balls.

  Her face was filled with appreciation at his appearance, but she rubbed her hand under her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I need some sleep.”

  “Sleep?” Sleep. How could he sleep, tied to the bed, with an erection that hadn’t been used in many years and a woman with the body of a goddess begging to be worshipped?

  “Yes, sleep. It’s almost two a.m.”

  She wanted to ignore the lust burning in her body and the curiosity shimmering in her eyes. She didn’t want sex. She didn’t want hours of body-melting pleasure that would steal her breath and leave her limp in his arms. How was that possible?

  This didn’t happen, not to Inanu, never to him. He was meant to be irresistible.

  Her gaze traveled over the bed, and he knew what she was thinking: Was there room for her to sleep next to him? Given he was laid out for her amusement in the middle, it was unlikely.

  “Please tell me how to untie you.”

  He waited until her eyes met his. He’d been waiting for her to ask the right question. He carefully lowered his voice to a low rumble that promised satisfaction. “You must finish your fantasy.”

  Both her brows lifted. She gasped and bit her lip. Her skin flushed a dark pink that disappeared into the neckline of her dress.

  “My fantasy?” She shook her head, and her blond hair danced over her shoulders and draped over the swell of one breast. “My fantasies don’t involve bondage.”

  Kede could feel the sand in the hourglass slowing as she retreated away from the heat burning beneath her skin and moistening her core. The faint scent of female arousal laced the air. It would be a long, sleepless night if she chose to walk away and leave him tied until morning.

  “Pretend they do.” He flicked his tongue over his lip and rolled his hips. A calculated move to ga
in her attention.

  It worked. Her breath caught as she glanced at his shaft. She was curious even as she denied it. It was the one advantage he had, and he pressed forward, determined to be released from the bonds that kept him from touching her.

  “What would you do to release me?”

  Chapter Three

  Josie tried to find somewhere else to look. But her eyes kept tracking back to the gloriously naked man tied to her bed, offering sex. What else would he be offering? What was she supposed to do? The smart thing to do would be to leave the room, close the door and go to sleep on the sofa. But her body thought it would be an excellent idea to get laid. Heat spread from her centre, making her thighs tremble. The daring thing to do would be to take him up on his offer.

  One night of lust. She ran her teeth over her lip. Until now her lust-filled imaginings had never involved hot men tied to her bed with magic rope. They would in the future, they would all feature…him. What was she thinking? She didn’t even know the man.

  “I’m not having sex with you.” Damn. She’d just admitted to thinking about having sex with him which was exactly what he wanted. She stumbled on, trying to cover the slip. “I don’t know you.”

  Her stomach tightened every time her gaze accidentally slid below his neck, or above his ankles. He had nice feet. Nice legs. Nice chest.

  He was watching her watching him. His eyes darkened. “I’m Kede.”

  His name rolled around her skull, foreign and exciting. Tempting. She crossed her arms, determined not to be drawn in. “What kind of a name is Kede?”

  Kede shrugged as best he could. He was really taking this very well for a man who was effectively trapped, and as he had said, at her mercy. “The one I was given. And you are?”

  “Josette.” She cringed as the name left her lips. No one except her mother called her Josette. Grant had said it made her sound like a French stripper. Why had she given Kede that name?

  “A pleasure to meet you, Josette.”

  Her name rolled off his tongue, wrapped in an accent drenched with intent. He tilted his head, and she was sure if he were free he would’ve kissed the back of her hand. Her skin gave a quiver. If he could do that with her name, what could he do to her? She curled her bare toes into the carpet. She could imagine later, after he was gone.

  Josie forced out a breath. She’d kissed him and now the game was over. He’d given her enough to keep her happy for another twelve months without going any further.

  “It’s okay if you’re an escort. I’ll tell my friends we did it. You can keep the money.”

  A flicker of frustration twisted his features but was gone so fast she could’ve imagined it. He flexed his fingers. “I’m not here for money. I’m here for you. Look at the hourglass. It reset when you kissed me.”

  Josie glanced at the timer. No way.

  Not possible. No one had touched it. Red sand now filled the top section. A few grains coated the bottom. Thousands more waited for their turn to fall. The hairs on her arms prickled, plucking at her skin. The chill swept over her body and pinched her tight nipples hard. This was really happening. The lick-and-wish spell worked. Kede had come out of the bottle with a magic hourglass and magic rope. The Universe had answered her wish—in a roundabout way.

  “You really came out of the bottle.” She touched the sand timer. It was cool and solid beneath her fingers.

  Kede nodded. “I am Inanu.”

  “Inanu.” The word conjured up images of tangled sheets and sweaty sighs. He was tied to her bed, ready for her. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “For my fantasies, you say?”

  “Mmm.”

  The sound rumbled through her flesh, stroking her nerves with sweet temptation. She didn’t want to be ungrateful and refuse a gift from a goddess. And besides there didn’t seem to be another way to untie him—the knots were stuck, and scissors had no effect.

  “So I could just…you know…and you wouldn’t…interfere.” Her cheeks burned. Could she be less confident?

  Kede twisted his hands in the red silk rope. “Not until you are done.”

  Did sleeping with a man who came out of a bottle make her cheap or desperate or gullible? Did it matter if no one ever knew? Her friends thought the spell had failed. It could be her little secret. The best birthday present ever. Kede was hers and he was too good to waste. She ran her hand down his arm, unable to resist touching him. Lust for skin on skin flooded her being. Beneath his silken skin his muscles were tense as he waited for her decision. A shudder of delight ran up her spine. She was in control. Before she could change her mind she slipped out of her knickers, glad she’d worn the lacy underwear she’d bought as a birthday present to herself.

  She opened the bedside drawer and pulled out a condom. She’d bought them with hopes of needing them in her new single life. That had been twelve long months ago.

  If she didn’t get some soon, she might as well join a convent. It wasn’t that she’d had no offers, it was just that none had appealed. She looked at Kede. His grey eyes filled her with a warmth that crept into her blood, swirled through her body and pooled between her legs. The rubber squirmed in the foil packet between her fingers. Her breath whooshed out of her lungs. Could she really do this?

  Kede’s tongue flicked over his lower lip in an invitation she couldn’t refuse. Her mouth still tasted of his kiss, and she needed more. He was decadent. Like brownies and ice cream and chocolate sauce. All at once.

  She climbed onto the bed and knelt over his thigh. Heat seeped off his skin. How could he still be warm after lying on her bed for hours? His cock lay against dark curls. More thick than long, and if she touched it, she imagined the skin would be satiny-hot. Would he taste of citrus and smoke? The ridge along the crown was begging to be licked, but licking had got her into this trouble in the first place.

  Their eyes met and a curl formed on his sinful lips. Could she even remember what to do? His hips lifted ever so slightly and his smile grew like he could read her thoughts and was eager to help. She ripped the packet open and fumbled before rolling the condom smoothly over his shaft. He groaned at her touch.

  Her body knew what to do. Need pulsed low in her belly as she straddled his hips. The banked fire in his eyes rippled through her, made her brave, drunk on lust that had spent too long chained and starved. She jumped as his shaft brushed the lips of her spread sex. She was more than ready for him, but she paused, denying the desire snaking through her body.

  “I don’t usually do this.” Her words were breathy. Maybe she would if naked hotties turned up in her bed on a more regular basis. Josie silently thanked The Universe. No doubt the Audi was in the mail.

  “I know,” he murmured, his eyes never leaving her.

  His muscles corded as he waited for her to take him. He was hers. Tied, ready, willing. She faltered.

  “You don’t mind?” She indicated the rope around his wrists. She didn’t need it to trust him. He wasn’t anything like her ex. When Kede spoke his words had meaning; they weren’t gloss to hide the flaws.

  “I’m here for your pleasure.” His voice was too well modulated, like he’d repeated that expression too many times before.

  Here for her pleasure. Not his. Her hand smoothed over the skin of his stomach. The muscles beneath hardened. He might have come out of a bottle, but she couldn’t use him. He was still a person with feelings and needs. She knew too well what it was like to be ignored.

  “I can’t untie you, but what would you like?”

  One dark eyebrow lifted. He pressed his lips together as he thought. “Take off your dress.”

  Josie gritted her teeth and glanced at the light. The bedroom was too bright. He would see too many bouncy bits.

  “I can’t touch, but let me watch.” His voice became husky, like watching her was the one thing he’d dreamed about for years. He lifted his hips, sliding flesh against flesh in a tempting promise of what could be. “Please.”

  Her resistance melted. No one ha
d ever asked her so desperately, or so politely, to get naked. She unzipped the dress and pulled it off. It landed on the floor, a puddle of black. The black bra she left on, a small amount of protection from the intensity of his stare.

  He took his time ravaging her body with his eyes. Her heart raced like it was going to explode. Every heartbeat of delay was too long. She needed the ropes off. She needed to feel his touch. She needed to feel Kede moving inside her. She lifted her hips and guided him into her core. Her body took precious seconds to adjust to the welcome invasion. She savored each one as she worked her way down his cock until she was fully seated. She didn’t remember sex feeling this good and she hadn’t done anything yet. Her body tingled from head to toe, a purr lodged at the back of her throat.

  Kede’s long, dark eyelashes flickered, and a half swallowed groan escaped his lips. It was all the incentive she needed to continue. She moved slowly, taking her time to enjoy the feel of his body within her, beneath her, spread before her. His body was sleek and golden. A dream made flesh.

  His breathing deepened, his gaze fixed on her body. She closed her eyes. Her hands moved over her breasts, then down to the curls covering her mound to her slick, swollen clit. She became lost in her own rhythm. Tension drew tight every nerve and pulled every sensation to one pulsing point between her legs. She circled, not wanting to rush the moment. He would wait for her, she was certain. This would be no incomplete fumble where she was left to finish herself.

  She moaned and gave into the desire that urged her faster. Kede growled. His thighs tensed like he was holding back for her. Electricity burned through her nerves and left her panting, her muscles shook as the wave crested and broke within her. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to wake up yet.

  For a moment she let herself dream. If his hands had been on her, gripping her hips, cupping her breasts, it would have been perfect. She didn’t really want a man she could control. She wished she could have another chance. Josie swallowed, her throat dry from breathing hard. He was still beneath her. Having sex hadn’t ended the spell and sent him back into his bottle like she’d expected.