Hayley let out a moan when Gabriel's lips descended on hers. She raised herself on her toes, accepting his hard kiss with unbridled eagerness. He lowered his hand to cup her bottom and held her tight against him. His erection grew hard against her belly. Was he going to make love to her again? She desperately wanted him to. Even as his tongue stroked hers as he kissed her deeper, she knew it would not be enough to sate the hunger that burned inside her.

He pulled away to nibble at her lower lip. "I'd like to negotiate our agreement," he said. His voice was gruff and thick with desire.

"Huh?" was all she managed to say.

"Sex. I'll be requiring more of it from you."

She was still in a lust-choked haze so her brain was slow to follow his meaning. Was he saying they would be having sex now? "Sure," she said quickly. "Let's go back inside and—"

"We're not done." But he kept one hand on her bottom, and he raised his other hand to stroke her cheek. "I'll pay you an additional one million dollars for the three months."

There was a twist in her gut. "You're paying me... for sex."

"Of course. It wasn't part of the original agreement, it's only right we raise the price. Don't you think it's fair?"

"I..." She felt she was choking on her words. "I don't want to be paid for ... to be with you. I mean, you are paying me to be with you. But not for sex. I don't do that."

"Why not?" His mouth brushed hers before he licked the seam between her lips.

Heat burned low in her belly, a fire he kept stoking with every touch, every lick of his lips. She struggled to keep her head although she knew deep inside that she was lost. She wanted him. Desperately. Did she want him enough to be paid for it? The knot in her stomach twisted again. But this time she wondered if it was disgust or a different, more intense arousal she'd just never felt before. "I just.. don't."

He was kissing her neck now, his mouth leaving her skin hot and sensitive as he moved down to her shoulder. "Don't make me have to find someone else, Hayley."

She was jolted out of her daze. "What?"

"This is not a relationship, Hayley." He undid the buttons of her shirt. Her skin prickled from the cool air until he covered one breast with his hand. "I won't fuck you unless it's part of the deal."

Her breaths came out in quick, shallow gasps. "Gabriel..."

"Say yes, Hayley." He stroked her nipple with his thumb.

She felt her breast tighten under his finger. Desire was a molten river running through her body. "W-w-what if I say no?"

"Then we stop. Right now." He kissed her throat, his stubble deliciously rough against her skin. "You'll go home tomorrow with the money we agreed on, free and clear."

She would be done. And she would never see him again. Never touch him again. Never feel the hard muscles of his arms around her, the pulsating hardness of him inside her. "And... if I say yes?"

"You'll get two million dollars." He lifted her by her bottom and pressed her against the balustrade, his hips pushing her legs apart. "And your hot little body will be mine for the next three months." As though to emphasize his point, he slipped a hand under her to stroke her wet, swollen clit.

Hayley tried to bite down her moans but she was too aroused beyond reason. His fingers made her hot and wet and horny as fuck, but his words made her feel beautiful. Desired. He spoke about her body in a way no man had ever done before.

"You got a deal," she cried out between whimpers.

One corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk. He put one hand behind her head, running his fingers through her hair, then pulled her in for a kiss. It was almost painful the way his fingers tangled in her hair but she couldn't make herself care, not when he was holding nothing back in his kiss. But now that he was no longer touching her between her legs, she felt the loss of his touch so sharply that she felt like crying.

"Fuck me now," she begged when he broke the kiss. "Right here."

"No."

"Gabriel—"

"The condoms are inside."

The disappointment stung, but she knew he was right. But before she could slide down the balustrade, he pulled her up against him. She clung to him —arms around his neck, her legs around his middle — as he carried her back inside.

He propped a knee on the bed before carefully laying her down on her back, then leaned forward to cover her body with his. The kiss was long and lingering and she felt an aching sense of loss the moment he pulled away. She closed her eyes and waited, listening to the sound of a drawer opening and the ripping of plastic. It seemed forever before his body slid over hers once more.

They began slowly with one long, lingering thrust. She felt herself open up to him, let him fill the empty void shaped by the hunger she never knew she carried with her. Her legs locked around his waist again as they moved in rhythm.

She looked up at his tall, powerful frame looming over her. Even in the dim light, there was no mistaking the dark, glittering desire in his eyes. Their ragged breaths were the only sounds in the room.

Soon, she began to whimper at his deepening thrusts. Pleasure flooded her senses with each surge of his hips between her legs. The noises she made only spurred him to fuck her faster, harder.

"Don't stop... please," she moaned, tightening her legs around him.

He growled in her ear. "I could ride you all night, baby," he ground out.

His hot, sultry voice pushed her over the edge. Pulsating light exploded behind her eyes. "Gabriel!" she cried out as she shattered into a million pieces.

"Say it again." His voice was harsher now, as though he was losing control. He thrust faster, not slowing even as her orgasm ripped through her.

"Gabriel... Oh my God, Gabriel..." she moaned.

"Fuck, Hayley," he panted, lips brushing her ear. "You feel so good. Too good."

She wound her arms around him. "Cum inside me. Please, baby," she begged. She desperately wanted to let him know she wanted him. Because now she could. For now, she was his. Her body, her desires belonged to him. She was free to want him.

God did she want him.

He rose over her, holding himself up by his magnificent arms.

She stared up at him in wonder as he let himself go. His eyes were still dark with lust, and he stared down on her as he came, his body convulsing with pleasure.

With a moan, he collapsed on top of her. Holding himself up by his elbows so as not to crush her with his weight, he let his head fall on the pillow above her shoulder. Bliss flooded her as she held him in her arms for a long moment, listening to his breathing.

When he finally withdrew and rolled over to lay beside her, she held her breath. The urge to cuddle up to him was unbearable, but somehow she knew it wouldn't be welcome.

She turned away to lie on her side. Too tired to bother buttoning up her pajama top, she just pulled the comforter over her. The silence was deafening, until she heard the sound of something being tossed in a bin. Then to her surprise, she felt his arm encircle her waist.

"Was that good for you?" he murmured, pulling her into an embrace.

Her heart began to beat wildly in her chest. "Yes. You know it was."

Warm lips pressed against the back of her neck. "Good."

She let herself, drift into sleep.

***

Gabriel always had a plan for everything.

If there was anything he'd learned in his 28 years, it was that if you wanted something, you had to get it yourself. Of course, it didn't hurt that he hadn't needed much to begin with. He never forgot that he'd been supremely lucky to have been born to wealthy parents. They weren't comfortable, they were obscenely rich. He knew it because his father made sure he did. Xin Li Wei had made sure Gabriel knew that what he had didn't come easily. You either earned wealth or stole it. Or someone did it for you.

His plan for Hayley had changed. He'd been too optimistic, thinking that he could go two months without sex. He'd hoped that choosing to hire someone like her — a woman who was the furthest from his usual type — would make it easier for him to control his basest urges. He was wrong, but he'd been prepared for this. The new plan allowed him an occasional indulgence. Once a week, perhaps. His work needed him to travel frequently, which would allow them time apart. He'd have three months free of his marriage-minded mother's machinations and he would have his physical needs met.

It was a good plan.

He smiled, enjoying the morning sunlight on his skin. He was lying by the pool on a lounge chair, having just taken a quick dip. The warm sun always helped him think.

And he needed to think. As good as his plan was, he had to admit to a possible snag — Hayley. She wasn't exactly what he expected. He wasn't supposed to like her, at least not as much as he did. More importantly, he didn't expect to enjoy bedding her as much as he did. That was unexpected. He didn't expect he'd want another woman this much so soon after Tallah. Christ, it had only been two weeks since they'd broken up. Granted it had been a month since he and his ex had been intimate. And then there had been Suzy — tall, elegant, and practiced in how to please a man in bed — who was pretty much the perfect fuck, but he'd not found it difficult to let her go.

Hayley wasn't perfect, yet he couldn't seem to keep his hands off her. Even now, the thought of their next night together made his body grow tight with anticipation. He was playing with fire, he knew. Nothing good ever came of indulging himself too much — he'd learned that lesson a long time ago. But maybe he could have this weekend. Just one more night before they drove back home and they would remember this was all just pretend.

Gabriel hadn't noticed he'd fallen asleep until he was softly woken by a woman's perfume. Soft hands on his chest. He grinned although he kept his eyes closed under his sunglasses. "Missed me already?" he said.

She nibbled on his lower lip. "You have no idea, darling," she purred.

At the sound of her voice, he groaned inwardly.

Fuck.

He opened his eyes to see the exquisite loveliness of a woman's face close to his. "Zenia," he said, his gaze dropping to see that she was straddling him. Her long, skinny legs were pale against his skin. He took in the sight of her model-perfect body in her tiny white and gold animal print bikini as his gaze moved back up to her face. "A little early for you to be awake, isn't it?" In all the years he'd known her, she was usually asleep until noon.

"You disappeared last night." She ran a fingertip down his nose. "I didn't even get a good night kiss."

He smiled, moving his hands up to clasp her waist. "Let me tell you a secret."

Her eyes lit up and she pressed even closer to him.

Close to her ear, he whispered, "I don't kiss snakes."

There was a hiss as she took a sharp, angry breath. She turned to face him, her eyes flashing. "Oh so I'm not good enough for you but that white trash is?" she snapped.

He was about to push her away, but a movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Turning, he felt a sense of dread even before he saw Hayley standing on deck on the other side of the pool.

Their eyes met for a moment before she turned and hurried away.
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Happy holidays, loves! Thank you for reading. If you liked this episode, please tap on that star icon to vote ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Episode 20 "Clarity" will be available on Friday, 3 January 2020. If you'd like to read ahead, you can find the link to read episodes 20 and 21 ("New Arrangements") on my WP author profile.