Secret Torment (Bend To My Will #9) (6 page)

“Now make yourself come, Vivienne.”

Jacob’s order made her shudder. She was so close, and feared that it wouldn’t take much for her to unravel. Yet inhibition held her back.

“Do it now, Vivienne. Or I will carry through with my earlier threat. So unless you want the entire room witnessing your spanking…I suggest that you obey me.”

Jacob put his arm around her shoulders, and Vivienne dipped her fingertips into her pussy. She was so wet. She imagined it was Jacob doing it. God, it felt good.

Her pussy clenched over her fingers, and she stroked, sensation flooding through her. With her other hand, she rubbed her clit. If only Vivienne could have screamed out, it would have been a relief, as she was only a breath away from exploding.

But there was a restaurant full of customers, with waiters serving them. Any dramatic motion or loud noise would catch their eye. Vivienne’s arousal mounted to a fever pitch, and the more she attempted to contain it, the higher she spiraled.

Shaking, she rubbed her clit with just enough pressure, clenching over her fingers. Jacob held her tight. “Do it now, baby. Or…you will suffer the punishment.”

In a flash, the image of bending over the table with Jacob smacking her bare butt in public flooded her senses. It dissolved her last shred of resistance, and her body shook as the first wave of climax took her.

A noise escaped Vivienne’s lips, but Jacob put his mouth over hers, swallowing her screams. While she breathed into him, gasping with delicious pleasure, Jacob kissed her deeply. Her muscles tensed, and her clit ached. But then all was released with a sharp prick of pain that flowed into ecstasy.

When she was able to move, Vivienne lifted up, just enough to pull her skirt down. Jacob still had his arm around her. As she came back into herself, Vivienne took in her surroundings. If anyone had noticed, there was no sign of it, or they were too polite to acknowledge what they’d seen.

“I think we’ll eat later,” Jacob said, and raised his hand to get the waiter’s attention. After scribbling his name and room number on the bottom of the tab, he guided Vivienne out of the restaurant then through the hotel lobby.

He had hired a limo to take them to a nightclub for dancing. The driver ushered them into the back seat, and pulled away from the curb. “Keep driving until I say otherwise,” Jacob said, then pressed a button to put up the privacy panel.

Vivienne massaged the bulge in his pants, feeling his heat.

“Now it’s my turn,” Jacob said. “Kneel in front of me.”

After slipping off her high heels, Vivienne got on her knees between Jacob’s thighs. He had already lowered his slacks and his briefs, revealing his gorgeous cock. Without being asked, she fisted his thick shaft.

Jacob grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her head back. “Put it in your mouth, baby.”

Vivienne licked along the bulging veins, then under the rim. At the top, she put her mouth over him, tasting his salty flavor. His musky scent made her giddy, and she pressed her lips to his velvet skin.

“Suck on me.”

With her mouth over him, Vivienne sucked, first gently then harder. Jacob used his hold on her to push her head toward him, forcing his cock deeper. She cupped his balls, rolling them in her hand, making him moan.

Jacob’s cock seemed to throb with his heartbeat, encouraging Vivienne to suck harder. “I’m going to shoot my cum down your throat,” he said, the erotic statement making her nipples hard again.

As Vivienne pumped over him, Jacob panted and his body stiffened, his muscles hard as rocks. He tasted delicious, and having her mouth over him was so damn sexy. She fingered the thatch of hair at the base of his cock, and fisted the base while sucking his wide crest.

Jacob moaned loudly just before he let go. He spurted cum in her mouth, one powerful pump after the other. Vivienne swallowed, letting his seed flow down her throat, the interlude very intimate. She breathed in the scent of male sex and put her palm on his flat belly.

When Jacob calmed, she let him slide out of her mouth and looked up into his blue eyes. He looked so virile, so male, and so…loving. Vivienne’s heart wrenched. She put her arms around his waist and laid her head between his legs.

And so she stayed for some minutes. Then Jacob pulled her up beside him and put his pants back on, his diamond cufflinks glinting in the city lights that flashed by. The satisfied look on his face warmed her, and Vivienne touched his cheek. Jacob took her hand then kissed her fingertips. In a gravelly voice, he said, “Let’s go dancing, baby.” And she smiled.

Chapter 6

Even after dancing until late, Vivienne woke up early the next morning. She had a tour planned and didn’t want to miss it. Sleep was low on her list of priorities; she could catch up when she got home. Seeing Argentina while she had the chance was at the top of her list.

Showered and dressed, she flipped through some brochures while having coffee with Jacob. Pictures of sights in the city filled several pages, with postcard-worthy scenes of the Andes Mountains covered others.

“I’m still not sure about this tour idea,” Jacob said. “Traffic in this country is heavy, and everyone drives too fast. Wouldn’t you rather go shopping or something? I’d be glad to hire a car for you.”

“No way. I can shop when I get home.” Vivienne shuffled through the brochures. “Besides, we won’t be in the city fighting traffic. I’ve decided on the mountain tour.”

Jacob sighed. “I can’t talk you out of it?”

Vivienne squeezed his arm. “It will be fine. You’re going to be working all day, so this is the perfect time. I can’t leave Argentina without seeing the Andes up close.”

“Maybe we could fit it in another day?”

“We don’t have that much time left, and there are still places we want to see together.” Vivienne grinned at him. “At least I’m not going rafting. Would you rather I shoot the rapids on Mendoza River?”

Jacob gave her a sardonic look.

“Not a bad idea, though,” Vivienne said. “Look at these pictures. The river is surrounded by mountains. It must be such a thrill to raft there.”

“Not happening.”

“Well, I could mountain-climb.” Vivienne held out a brochure. “Check out this company: Andes Vertical.” She read the offer: “Mountaineering and rock climbing…to the summit and back.” She pointed to the company’s description. “See…authentic adventure tours. ‘We provide an outstanding and safe experience.’”

“You made your point,” Jacob said. “There are a lot of outdoor activities here, all of which could be dangerous. We’ll come back another time, and do things together.”

“Okay, so at least I want to see the Andes, and not from the low plains. I want to be
up there
.”

Jacob narrowed his eyes. “You won’t consider the other tour? The company has that other bus route that stops at landmarks within the city: Foundational Area, Central Park, the Civic District.”

Vivienne groaned. “And sit in a bus all day with headphones on, listening to the narration translated into English.” She shook her head. “I want to be outside, in the country, really experience it.”

“I can tell that I’ve lost this round.”

“I’ll have a great time. I’ll be in a luxury coach with other tourists. We’ll go on a mountain tour, then the bus will deliver me back to the hotel.” Vivienne gave him a smile. “I’ll be here when you return.”

Jacob finally gave in and nodded. He worried about her in a foreign country; that was fair enough. But tours went all over the city and the mountains every day of the year. Tourists flooded to Mendoza because there was so much to enjoy. Vivienne was determined to see the Andes before returning home.

Vivienne finished her coffee, then went with Jacob to the café downstairs for a quick breakfast. Afterwards, he waited with her until the bus arrived. She felt like a kid on the way to Disneyland. “I’m going to the Andes,” she said, then hugged Jacob before climbing up into the coach to grab a window seat.

She smiled out the window at him, and Jacob waved. She missed him already, but she’d have a great time while he got his work done. He was supposed to be working on this trip, and he’d been to the mountains before anyway.

Vivienne turned to introduce herself to the person who sat next to her. She’d see Jacob later, and she couldn’t wait to tell him all about the trip. The bus pulled out of the hotel parking lot and, once it got out of town, took the Pan-American Highway, cruising toward the Chilean border.

The expert guide provided insightful commentary about the region’s cultural and natural features. They left the city behind, rolled through the flatlands, passed the wine country vineyards, and eventually reached the mountains.

Potrerillos, a town by a lake of the same name, was the first stop. The bus unloaded so everyone could get some fresh air and purchase a snack. Vivienne ordered a yerba maté, a tea-like beverage made from a plant indigenous to Argentina. It was served in a gourd with a stainless steel straw called a bombilla, and had a bitter aftertaste that she liked. The straw had a filter at one end to keep the leaves from clogging it.

Once they were all back in the bus, the driver took them to Uspallata, a charming mountain town with alpine views. Then came Puente del Inca, a natural rock bridge made of swirls of colored rock. It crossed over the Vaca River, where there was a small community with handmade goods for sale. Vivienne really felt like a part of the culture, and was in awe of the scenery.

Later they headed west toward the border of Chile, traveling higher as they went. They got up close to Aconcagua, a snowcapped peak in the Andes, the highest mountain outside of Asia. The coach stopped so they could take pictures from the scenic overview. It had been a long day, and after one more stop, the bus headed back down to deliver the passengers back to their hotels in Mendoza.

*****

When Vivienne left on the tour bus, Jacob took a car to his first meeting of the day. He’d managed to get work done the past week, even with spending a lot of time wine-tasting and seeing the city. When he’d gone off before, Vivienne had indulged with a day at the spa or lunch in the city.

It had been no problem hiring a guide to look after Vivienne when he wasn’t around. But this time she hadn’t been content with that, nor did she want a private car escorting her around. “
That would be lonely
,” she’d said. “
I want to be with a group of other tourists, and have someone to share things with, since you won’t be with me
.”

He had to be gone for most of the day, and wouldn’t be back until dinner, which was late. Jacob was relieved that his nightmares had abated, which he attributed to being out of the country. He was more stressed at home, so he assumed that made a difference. Travel seemed to improve his condition, but not permanently.

Plus, being alone with Vivienne was like being in a safety bubble, a place where the evil couldn’t get them. But once they returned to New York, that bubble would burst. Yet they had a couple more days together in Mendoza, and he planned to make the most of it.

While the driver headed out to the winery, Jacob leaned back and thought about the industry. There was no doubt that Argentina’s reputation in wine production was based on the Malbec grape. It was a difficult grape to grow, but the hot, dry conditions around Mendoza were ideally suited. It was also a grape that no other country in the world cultivated to the same degree, and certainly not for the production of single-grape varietals.

Malbec was one of the most widely planted, but the pink Criolla Grande variety was also grown in a large area of Argentine vineyards. The grape used to be just a remnant of the cheap table wine industry, but no longer.

Criolla was increasingly used for blending in the country’s mature wine industry, especially to produce deeply-colored white or rosé wines. Along with securing a greater volume of Malbec to import, Jacob intended to make arrangements with wineries producing the rosés that had become popular. It was important to stay ahead of the curve, and continue to provide something new to customers.

When Jacob had been seventeen years old, he’d already shown an interest in the wine trade. Vico had groomed him to take over Rinaldi Imports. Jacob recalled that Vico had spoken about Argentina back then. The country had experienced a financial crash, which had turned out to be a boon for the local wine industry.

The devaluation of the peso had enabled the winemakers to deliver high-quality vintages to the export market at very low prices, while the cost of making wine had dropped. That had resulted in a vibrant wine scene, with wines for a range of palates and budgets.
B
y the time Jacob had taken over the family business, a new generation of winemakers had thrived. The country and its remarkable wines continued to play a major role in Rinaldi’s importing business.

Jacob’s first meeting was with a winemaker whose production had increased in the past couple of years, and he was interested in exporting in greater volume. The wine was good quality, and could be sold for a reasonable price to wholesalers. After the initial discussion, the team at Rinaldi would follow through with the details.

The morning flew by, and into the afternoon Jacob connected with producers he intended to do business with. One of his last appointments took longer than he’d anticipated, but it was worth the time investment, as the producer would be a valuable supplier.

Jacob ran late, but still hoped to get back to the hotel before Vivienne returned. He looked forward to having dinner with her and catching up. While the car headed back, he responded to a few texts then checked some news sites. It was a good idea to keep up with price fluctuations and trends in the market.

A major news network flashed a headline that shook Jacob to his very soul.
The driver of a double-decker bus heading down the mountains lost control of the vehicle and veered three meters off a cliff
. The words became a blur in Jacob’s mind as panic took hold.

The tour company was the one that Vivienne had used. Madly, he scanned the article.
Sixty-nine people were onboard, including the driver and two assistants. Forty passengers were being transported to Hospital Central
.

Damn it, why didn’t it give any names? Jacob couldn’t tell if it was the same bus or not. Adrenaline flooded his veins, and his heart threatened to beat out of his chest. With his hand shaking, he called Vivienne’s cell but just got her voicemail.

Jacob wouldn’t forgive himself if anything had happened to her. He knew she shouldn’t have gone without him. “Get me to the hotel as fast as you can,” he said, and the driver nodded. Meanwhile, Jacob searched online for the phone number of the hospital.

He prayed that Vivienne would be at the hotel when he arrived, but it wasn’t looking good. If she was there, she would have answered his call. He refused to believe that something had happened to her, unable to accept that he’d left her vulnerable.

Quickly, Jacob texted:
Call me, urgent
.

Then he thrust his fist into his knee. “Goddammit.”

The driver glanced in the rearview mirror then looked back at the gridlock in front of them. While the car crawled through traffic, Jacob’s panic began to subside, but desperation took over. The sense of loss was overwhelming, and it occurred to Jacob just what Vivienne meant to him.

She meant
everything
. And if she was injured, or worse, Jacob couldn’t live with himself. He had brought her to a foreign country, and put her in the hands of a tour guide he didn’t know. It was his fault; he should have been more responsible and refused to let her out of his sight.

Now it might be too late. Vivienne had given him all he could have wanted, and more. Yet at every turn he’d let her down. Was it too much to ask for love? What was wrong with him? But no, he hadn’t been able to give her what she truly needed. And now he might not have the chance.

Fumbling with the phone, Jacob managed to dial the hospital, but the receptionist who answered spoke only Spanish. He tried with what few words he knew, and kept saying her name: Vivienne Lake. But the woman had no idea what to do with him. She kept repeating, “
No lo sé
.”

Jacob was just about to hand the phone to the driver so he could communicate in Spanish when they pulled into the circular drive at the Park Hyatt. He yanked open the door, threw a wad of cash to the driver, and sprinted inside.

He jogged across the lobby, but the elevator car didn’t open when he stabbed at the button. Jacob wasn’t about to wait. He took the stairs two at a time up to their floor, and raced to the door of the suite. When he opened it and walked inside, he didn’t hear anything at all. His heart sank at the complete silence that engulfed him; Vivienne should have been back by now.

Jacob’s world crumbled around him, but he refused to give in to emotion. Not now. He spun around, intent on getting to the hospital as soon as possible. He’d make someone there tell him where Vivienne was. With his heart racing, he gripped the door handle.

Then out of the corner of his eye, Jacob caught sight of movement. In the blink of an eye, he was happier than he could have imagined. Vivienne stood there, wearing a hotel robe, her blond hair damp from the shower.

“Jacob…you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

In two long strides, Jacob reached her and wrapped her in his arms. His pulse still raced but his heart warmed. “Vivienne…”

She hugged him back. “I’m glad to see you, too. I’m sorry I missed your call. I just got the message.” Vivienne looked up at him. “I was in the shower. I really needed one after all day on a bus.” She frowned. “What was so urgent?”

Jacob guided her to the sofa and pulled her onto his lap, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. “I thought you’d been in an accident.”

She put her arms around his neck. “Why would you think that?”