Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Two weeks later…

Ana

"Ana, dear." Helen pops into our bedroom and holds up a bottle. "We haven't had our girl time yet this week, and I'm in the mood for a drinky-poo."

I look up from the contouring tutorial I'm watching and grin. "Is that his new bottle of expensive whiskey?"

She looks at it andthen back at me. "It sure is. Come."

Giggling, I roll off the bed and follow her out of our room. Ever since the night I discovered Patrick in the bathroom with blood on his hands, I've been sleeping in here with him. He even helped me move my clothes over from the guest suite.

Every night, he's run me a bath in his enormous tub and left me to relax by myself. We've slept together every night, but that's all we've done. He hasn't tried to have sex with me or even touched me, other than hugs and kisses. Then, last night we started kissing, and it turned from something gentle to something hot and heavy. My body was buzzing for him, and I was ready for more, but all of a sudden, he pulled away and told me he needed to take a shower.

Maybe I can ask Helen what to do. She'll know, right? As wild as it seems, she's become like a mother to me these past few weeks. She dotes on me and talks to me about anything and everything. We've watched movies and eaten popcorn together. And every time she leaves, she hugs me and tells me she's proud of me. I don't know if she realizes how much it means.

She has miniature sandwiches set out on the coffee table for us. After the first time we drank together, Patrick made a rule that if we drink, we have to have food as well. There are a lot of sandwiches, though. Way more than she and I can eat on our own.

"I invited your friends over. They're coming up the elevator now."

My mouth drops open as I gaze at Helen. She shrugs like it's nothing. If only she knew how much it meant to me.

"We're here!" Cali shouts as the five women enter the penthouse.

Declan's housekeeper, Grace, walks in a few seconds later. Apparently, she and Helen are good friends. They grew up in the mafia together.

"I brought cake. It goes great with whiskey," she says.

According to Helen and Grace, everything goes with whiskey.

We start pouring drinks and settle down in the living room. Well, I guess if I'm going to ask my friends about my predicament, I might as well speak to all of them at once.

"So, I need some advice," I blurt.

Every set of eyes in the room move to me as my new friends fall silent.

Sweat gathers at the back of my neck. Maybe this was a bad idea. Patrick said I could talk to them about anything, though. He said I could trust them, and I truly feel I can.

I take a long pull from my glass andthen set it down. "I want to have sex with Patrick, but I don't know what to do or how to do it."

They all stare at me in stunned silence for just a second before Cali rubs her hands together. "Operation Fuck Patrick."

Chloe giggles. "All you have to do is touch his dick, and he'll get the point."

"You don't even have to touch his dick, just wink at it, and it will get hard," Paisley replies.

Katie shrugs. "Or just show him your tits." Her cheeks turn bright pink, and she ducks her head.

We all giggle.

"Are you sure you're ready to have sex? He's not pressuring you, is he? I'll cut off his balls," Helen says, holding up her drink.

I smile at her, my heart so full now that she's in my life. She winks at me.

"Yes, I'm sure. I trust Patrick. I love him. And I think he's trying to give me time, but I'm ready."

Cali sighs. "That's so sweet. I'm so happy for you. Maybe you should talk to him about it."

"Or you could seduce him," Grace chimes in.

All heads turn toward the older woman.

With a nod of my head, I lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees. "I'm listening."

* * *

I'm trembling so hard, I'm surprised my bath water isn't sloshing out of the tub. After several drinks and a ton of laughs, my friends went home, leaving me with a plan all mapped out.

Now, an hour later, I've shaved, exfoliated, and scrubbed every inch of my body in the shower and am now soaking in the tub, nervous as heck.

What if he turns me away? He wouldn't. I know he wants me. I've felt his erection pressed against my back almost every night. There have even been times I've tried to get the courage to reach back and touch it, but I guess I wasn't ready. For whatever reason, I know I am now, and if I don't get to have sex with Patrick soon, I might implode.

I let my fingers sink in the water and run them down my tummy to my lips. Feeling myself bare is odd but strangely exciting. Every touch is amplified without hair down there.

Closing my eyes, I gently explore. I've done this before but only briefly and never long enough to get any real pleasure.

As soon as the pads of my fingers press against my clit, I jerk and moan. Whoa!

My eyes fly open, and I gasp. "Oh!"

Patrick stands over me, his gaze studying where my arm dips into the water under the layer of foam. "What are you doing, little girl?"

Instead of saying anything, I rub another circle around my clit and open my mouth as pleasure shoots through me.

"Are you playing with your pretty little pussy, Anastasia?" His voice is low and rough. Sexy as hell. God, I want him so badly.

I roll my head to the side to look at him. The outline of his cock presses against his slacks, and I lick my lips. I want to taste him. I bet he tastes delicious.

"Daddy," I whisper.

He swears and lowers himself to kneel beside the tub. Without even taking off his shirt, he sticks his hand into the water and pushes mine away from my pussy.

"Do you need to come, babygirl?"

Nodding, I grip the edge and cry out as he puts pressure on my clit and starts rubbing.

"I want you." I stare up at him, hoping he understands.

"I want you too, baby. But more than that, I want you to be ready. We have the rest of our lives together."

"I'm ready, Daddy. I want to feel you. To be closer to you."

He leans over, his mouth near mine. "If I take you, Anastasia, there will never be an out for you. I will marry you, have babies with you, grow old with you, and I will fucking love the hell out of you. But the only way out will be death. Do you understand?"

His fingers continue to circle, and the room is beginning to get cloudy as every nerve in my body lingers on the edge.

"Yes, Daddy," I pant out. "I'm yours."