Chapter 12

Valerie kissed him wildly, desperately and hungrily. His lips parted instantly, inviting her in, and for a moment, she forgot everything - the darkness, his insults, the reason she was there… the only thing that mattered at that moment was getting her tongue deep inside his mouth until she could feel the back of his throat.

Rick wasn’t left out, he grabbed her waist, pulling her deeper into him, as his hot hands massaged her burning pussy. Valerie moaned into his mouth, grateful for not wearing any panties.

She felt his hardness against her thighs, felt the way his chest expanded with each labored breath. This was what she had fantasized about for days - the feeling of being completely consumed by him. Rick’s hands left her pussy and moved up the insides her dress, until he found her succulent breasts. He squeezed firmly, emitting a soft moan from her.

She was completely glued to him now, but she wanted more. Wanted him inside of her before she eventually collapses from the pressure of what his hands were doing. “Take me right now, Rick,” she moaned into his mouth, her hands now wandering towards his jeans zipper.

That seemed to break the heated moment because Rick suddenly broke the kiss. With a force that left her gasping, he pushed her away from him, holding her at arm's length as if she carried some deadly disease.

She stumbled backward, disoriented by the sudden rejection. Before she could regain her balance, a blinding light flooded the room. Rick had found the switch on the wall and put it on.

The light illuminated every detail of the room – the shelves on the wall, the couch in the corner, and Rick, standing several feet away now, his eyes dark with something she couldn't quite read. Anger? Desire? Disgust? His chest heaved with each breath, his lips still wet from their kiss.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" His voice came out hoarse, almost a growl.

Valerie blinked, still dazed from both the sudden light and the intensity of what had just happened. She looked down at herself - her nipples clearly visible through the gossamer-thin nightgown, the outline of her body exposed as if she were naked. The coolness of the basement caused goosebumps to rise across her skin, making her even more aware of her state of undress.

When she raised her eyes to Rick's face again, she noticed his gaze had dropped lower. The bulge in his jeans was unmistakable, straining against the denim. A slow, satisfied smile spread across her lips.

"I think it's pretty obvious what I'm doing," she purred, taking a deliberate step toward him. "And what you want me to do."

Rick's jaw clenched, the muscles in his neck tightening. "Stay where you are."

"Why?" She gestured toward his erection. "You can't hide that, Rick. You want me just as much as I want you."

"This doesn't mean anything," he said through gritted teeth, not bothering to cover himself or hide his arousal. "I'm a man with blood in my veins. If you're going to parade around in that little scrap of nothing you call a nightie, then this is a natural reaction. It's just biology, Valerie. Not desire for you."

The words stung more than she expected, but Valerie was getting used to his unfiltered words already.

"Is that what you tell yourself?" She took another step closer, swaying her hips slightly. The nightgown clung to her curves, revealing the fact that she wore absolutely nothing underneath. "Then prove it. We will get on with it - one night to flush each other out of our systems, then we can both move on with our lives."

Rick remained motionless, his eyes traveling slowly up and down her body. The silence between them stretched, thick with tension. Valerie could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. She was so used to men falling at her feet, begging for just a taste of her. Rick's resistance was maddening... and downright arousing.

"What's the matter?" she whispered, moving so close she could smell him. "Afraid you might enjoy it too much?"

Rick's eyes locked with hers, and for a fleeting moment, Valerie thought she saw hunger in his eyes, but then it was gone immediately, replaced by the coldness she was used to.

"Leave," he said, his voice low but firm.

Valerie blinked twice, certain she had misheard. "What?"

"Leave," he repeated, louder this time. "I want to sleep, and I'll be gone from this damned house by dawn."

Valerie stood frozen, unable to process what was going on. How could he reject her again after what just happened?

"You can't be serious," she finally managed, her voice smaller than she intended. "I can see how much you want this." Her eyes deliberately dropped to the evidence still straining against his jeans.

"What I want," Rick said coldly, "is for you to leave me alone. Whatever game you're playing, Duchess, I'm not interested."

"This isn't a game," she protested, a hint of desperation creeping into her voice that she immediately hated herself for.

"Everything is a game to people like you," he replied, his words filled with ice. "Now go. I freed myself from your security's restraints once. I will find my way out of here in the morning."

Heat rushed to Valerie's face - not the warm flush of desire, but the burning sting of humiliation. Her hands balled into fists at her sides, and without another word, she turned and walked toward the stairs.

She could feel his eyes on her back as she climbed, but she refused to look back, refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing how deeply his rejection had wounded her. The thin nightgown clung to her body as she moved, leaving nothing to the imagination. Let him look. Let him see exactly what he was turning down.

As the elevator ascended to her penthouse, Valerie made up her mind. She would never bother Rick again! Never!

*************

The harsh ringing of her phone jolted her awake. Valerie squinted at the clock - 7:08 AM - and grabbed her phone with an irritated groan.

"Ms. Calder," Steve's urgent voice filled her ear. "I apologize for calling at this hour, but there's a situation downstairs. The mechanic is demanding to leave, and things have... escalated."

"What do you mean, 'escalated'?" Valerie sat up, instantly alert.

"He's taken down four of our men, ma'am. They tried to detain him as per last night's orders, but he..."

"I'll be right down," she cut him off, ending the call.

Valerie threw on a robe over her nightgown and rushed to the elevator, her mind racing with different scenarios. Had Rick gone mad? Was he trying to create a scene to embarrass her? It was time she ended this nonsense.

When the elevator doors opened to the garage level, the scene before her left her speechless. Four of her security guards lay scattered across the floor, nursing various injuries. One held a bloodied nose, another clutched his ribs, and the remaining two looked dazed as they struggled to their feet.

In the center of it all, Rick stood strong, not even a tiny bruise visible on him. He turned towards the sound of her footsteps. "Call off your dogs," he said, his voice even. "I'm leaving."

The remaining security personnel looked to Valerie, awaiting instructions, their hands hovering near their weapons.

But Valerie didn’t hesitate, "Let him go," she said, her voice cold and firm. "Open the gates."

Rick looked so stunned at her change in tone that he blinked twice, probably unsure if he heard right. He stood there staring at her, but Valerie didn’t give a damn anymore, she simply turned and walked off.