Oliver was so hard in my hand. Soon, that hardness would be deep inside me. He must have sensed my anxiety, for as he gave me another lingering kiss, his fingers massaged my clit. My moans grew louder, encouraging him to ease his body on top of mine. I gasped at the feel of him sliding his tip between my folds.

Just as he positioned himself at my opening, I grasped his arm. "If I get pregnant, my father will—"

"Your father will not touch a hair on your head," Oliver replied firmly.

And then he entered me. 

Staring up at him, I knew my wide eyes were full of panic. I had to swallow a whimper.

"I'm sorry to hurt you," he whispered. I could tell by his expression, suddenly solemn, that he meant what he said.

As Oliver inched deeper inside, I clung to him desperately, praying the pain would fade. My tender flesh was no match for his hard cock. He was slow and gentle, his stare locked with mine. When I started panting, he stopped entirely until I nodded for him to continue.

Finally, he buried himself all the way inside me. I couldn't believe I'd taken his entire length! My astonishment must have been obvious, because he offered me a sweet smile before planting a kiss on my forehead. I smiled back, weak with relief that the pain was already disappearing. Yet when I tried to squeeze my muscles around his cock, I had to wince. This would take getting used to.

Oliver gave me the chance to do so by remaining still for several moments. Before moving his hips, he placed a palm on either side of me. Though he was careful not to rest all of his weight on my body, and I was free to move my arms and legs, I still felt as though his cock was pinning me to that bed.

At first, his thrusts were almost languid, and I was beyond grateful for his slower pace. Taking a deep breath, I inhaled his scent, which was already familiar to me. It seemed I now craved it. I noticed Oliver's jaw slacken a little from the pleasure of our lovemaking. While my pain had faded to a dull throb, I couldn't help but wonder when my own bliss would reveal itself.

It didn't take long for my growing arousal to override any lingering discomfort. Faint cries fell from my lips, and what Oliver saw in my face made him smile. As his hips continued pumping with a gentle rhythm, I felt a kind of awe that I was actually having sex. My virginity was now a thing of the past. Gazing up at Oliver, I also felt something like tenderness. He'd been so patient with me, when he certainly didn't have to be. This could have been just a quick fuck for him, another conquest before he sent me on my way. But it was far different, and far more wonderful, than I'd allowed myself to imagine. No matter what happened after tonight, I decided, I would always be glad that Oliver was my first.

Sliding my hands over his hot skin, I reveled in the guttural sounds he made. His cock now moved easily inside my slick cunt. I was surprised to still be so wet for him, but then again, my arousal had only dimmed from that initial pain; it had never disappeared entirely.

Oliver kissed me with a passion that stole my breath. "You feel incredible, sweetheart!" he murmured against my lips.

My lust fed a wildness within me, and as I lost all control, I released low screams. The sounds emerging from my throat shocked me; they were raw and full of hunger. Oliver's smile widened, for he clearly enjoyed seeing me in this state. Not once did he ask me to quiet down. If anything, all the noise I made seemed to excite him more.

When he dared to thrust a little faster, I clawed his back, my nails tearing at his flesh. I didn't understand what possessed me to scratch him; it was like an instinctual urge I couldn't subdue. Though he didn't so much as flinch, I worried he'd be angry.

"I'm sorry!" I yelped.

Oliver's breathing quickened even as he remained careful with me. "Don't be sorry," he said with a grin. "I like that kind of pain."

I didn't understand that, either, but I had no time to dwell on the reasons for our behavior. Deep within my core, an orgasm was already building. Its delicious tension was a wave gathering strength. As Oliver moved inside me, his dick continually massaged an exquisite spot that I hadn't even known existed.

"Oh, my God, I'm gonna come!" When we'd first begun, I never dreamed I'd be able to climax. How could an act that started with such pain end in ecstasy?

"That's it! Be a good girl, and come for me!" Oliver's voice held a note of urgency. Was he close, too? I wondered. All this time, he'd been so patient, keeping his own desires in check, but his rhythm now grew more fervent.

I screamed his name, and the echo of my voice ricocheted throughout the room. In response, Oliver urged me on, his words growing filthier by the second. "Give it up for me, Dreama! I want to feel that tight pussy come hard around my cock!"

My body responded to his words just as powerfully as my mind. It was as if I was fully under his control, for the orgasm suddenly engulfed me in a series of fierce contractions. Oliver actually gasped when my muscles tightened around him.

"Fuck, yes!" he moaned.

I was wild, making no effort to suppress my wails as I writhed beneath him. In the back of my mind, I was dimly aware that a guard might be listening. The thought of that would have embarrassed me before, but not now. Now, I was happy to let everyone know Oliver had sent me into the throes of bliss.

"I'm close!" he warned through his heavy breaths.

I was reluctant to let him go. My nails again burrowed into his flesh, and he had no choice but to seize my arms and pin them against the bed so that he could free himself from my grip. Though I whined when he finally pulled out, I quickly propped myself up to watch him kneel between my open legs.

Oliver took hold of his cock, which was still slick with my juices, and began furiously stroking. I loved to see the pre-orgasmic tension rippling through his body. Our stares met, and I was struck by his primal need; with his lips drawn back from his teeth, and his eyes filled with heat, he was almost unrecognizable.

With a heavy groan, he reached his own release. I cried out when the first rope of his semen painted my right breast. As more landed on my lower belly, just above my mound, I dared to give him a wicked smile. He readily returned it, his expression one of intense satisfaction.

Once he was completely spent, he lay at my side, still breathing fast. When he started to reach for me, I reluctantly pulled away. "Let me wash up first." I had no idea if the dampness between my thighs was blood or just my natural lubrication, but I didn't want to ruin these expensive sheets.

Oliver seemed amused by my mad scramble from the bed and toward the bathroom. "Make sure you actually use the bathroom while you're in there," he called after me.

Though I was still covered in his semen, curiosity made me stop and turn back to him. "Why?"

I watched as he retrieved his cigarette case and an ashtray from the bedside table. When he looked up at me again, I told myself I wasn't imagining the affection in his eyes. He seemed quite pleased by the mess he'd made of me. "Women are supposed to after sex," he replied.

That was news to me, but I was glad for the knowledge. In the bathroom, I used a wet washcloth to clean myself up. Then, I emptied my bladder again. When I started to pee, I felt a stinging pain that gradually subsided. There was a smear of blood on the toilet paper, but I doubted I'd stained the sheets.

Returning to the bedroom, I found Oliver leaning back against the headboard, a cigarette between his lips. He extinguished it while I gingerly approached. Intuiting my uncertainty, he set the ashtray aside and then held out a hand. "Come here."

I hurried to join him in the bed. When he slipped an arm around me, I quickly relaxed into his embrace. I sensed his mild surprise when I eagerly kissed him. "Thank you for being patient with me tonight," I said. "You could have been rough and demanding, but you were gentle the whole time."

Oliver brushed my hair back from my face. "I'm never needlessly cruel, Dreama."

I knew he was trying to assure me, but his choice of words sent an icy current down my spine. After all, it wasn't that he was never cruel. Apparently, he was plenty capable of being so when he deemed it necessary. Still, it was hard to imagine him being brutal while he was treating me so tenderly.

A few moments passed before Oliver spoke again. "About the money I'm giving you..."

I looked at him sharply, unable to hide my suspicion.

"It's yours," he rushed to add. "You're free to walk out of here with the entire amount. But where will you keep it?"

I honestly hadn't gotten that far in my plans. It wasn't as if I had any experience with money. "I don't know," I admitted.

"Well..." Oliver slid his hand along the curve of my hip. "You can try to keep it at your house until you find somewhere else to live, but you'd better have a hell of a good hiding place. If your father finds it—"

"I'll never see it again." My throat tightened, making it hard to swallow.

"You can't simply open a bank account and deposit all that money at once," Oliver pointed out. "That would certainly raise some flags. You'll need to make many smaller deposits over time, and even then, you'll eventually have to come up with an explanation for how you acquired all that cash. You can't invent a job out of thin air and pretend it's paying you that kind of salary." His eyes locked with mine. "And, of course, you can't tell the truth about how you earned it. Doing so would have very unpleasant consequences... for both of us."

I could actually feel the blood drain from my face. Already, I was cursing myself for being so stupid.

"There is another option for you, however," Oliver spoke mildly like he was describing the weather.

"What other option?" My voice was blatantly hopeful.

"I can hold onto the money for you. I'll make an account for you in my books, and whenever you need cash, you can simply let me know."

I narrowed my eyes. "What's in it for you?"

He chuckled at my cynicism. "Oh, only the pleasure of our continued association."

Weighing his words in my mind, I realized I didn't have any other choice. I'd simply have to trust him not to cheat me. And if he did cheat me? Well, it wasn't as if I'd be any worse off than I was when I first stepped into this house.

"That brings us to another issue." Oliver did a good job of looking pensive, but I suspected he'd thought all this out before making his initial offer. "In most cases, you need a credit history to rent an apartment; it's necessary to prove you can make the payments. You can't just pay in cash with no questions asked."

I didn't think my heart could sink any lower, but it now felt like it was in the pit of my stomach. "So I have to keep living with my dad." The thought of that made me want to burst into tears.

"Or you could stay here. That would be far more convenient, seeing as how I'm serving as your bank. Perhaps I can come up with a job for you, one which will provide a plausible explanation for your financial windfall." Oliver made the suggestion so casually that I struggled to believe he was serious. His eyes, however, held that calculating look I'd noticed when he first met me. It was strange to be lying in this man's arms while worrying that I might be selling my soul to him.

"Again, what would you want in return?" I asked slowly.

He shrugged. "Maybe I feel I owe you after the way you've suffered at the hands of your father."

I actually snickered at that. "You're not the kind of man who'd assume a debt like that. Aren't I simply collateral damage? The cost of doing business?"

"Fine, then. How's this?" Oliver propped himself up on an arm so he could gaze down at me. "You're a breath of fresh air, Dreama. There's absolutely nothing contrived about you. Do you understand how rare that is? Maybe that's why I want to keep you around." Nuzzling the side of my neck with his lips, he added, "And of course, I love fucking you."

He rolled my nipple between his fingertips, making me moan. "So that's what you'll want from me if I stay here?" I asked in a breathy voice. "Sex?"

Oliver lifted his head to meet my eyes. "If you choose to stay, I'll make no demands of you, but I will have certain expectations. If you and I discover that our expectations aren't the same, then you're free to find another place to live."

If his expectations were anything like those he had for me tonight, then I figured we'd be just fine. Still, I hesitated before answering. To his credit, Oliver didn't push me. I knew he was a busy man, but he acted like he had all the time in the world to wait for my response.

"I want to stay," I finally said.

His face lit up in a huge smile. At that moment, with his tousled hair and bright eyes, he looked much younger. "Perfect. Tomorrow, I'll have one of my men drive you to your house, and you can collect your things."

"I don't want to see my dad," I blurted out. 

If Oliver was surprised by my words, he hid it well. "That's fine. Ted will contact him beforehand and make it clear that he's not to be present when you arrive."

"Are you going to hurt him?" Sitting up, I put a little distance between us. 

He sat up as well. "Do you want me to?"

"No," I immediately replied. "I just want to get away from him."

Oliver sighed heavily. "You know, your father used to be reliable in handling the jobs I gave him, but in recent months, he's gotten sloppy."

I grew still, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, I asked, "What do you mean?"

"The money you brought here today? That's only a small portion of what your father originally owed me." Oliver held up a hand to ward off my many questions. "Relax, Dreama. At this point, he's settled the debt."

"Wait." I shook my head in confusion. "How did Dad end up owing you money?"

"By thinking with his dick." Oliver had to have known the effect his answer would have on me, but he chose to ignore my wide eyes. "Back in the winter, your father came to me requesting a loan on behalf of his girlfriend."

"What girlfriend?" I sputtered. As far as I knew, Dad hadn't gone on a single date since Mom left.

"Oh, you don't know about her?" Oliver made a regretful sound. "Well, she had quite an influence on the man, I'll say that much. He asked me to loan her a huge amount of money, and he swore she was good for it. They both claimed she had a temporary cash flow issue, nothing that projected future revenue wouldn't remedy." His expression hardened. "When the loan came due, this woman skipped town. Since your dad vouched for her, he became responsible for paying what I was owed. He wiped out all his savings, which were quite substantial. All that money he refused to share with you, he readily spent covering his former girlfriend's debt."

My stomach soured, sending a wave of nausea through me, but I didn't tell Oliver to stop. Maybe it was best that I finally learned the truth about my father.

"Still, it wasn't enough," Oliver went on. "So he had to call in a lot of favors, and while I'm now off his back, he owes many other people. All the more reason for you to stay here with me, where you'll be safe."

"Will I?" The bitterness in my voice was unmistakable. "Or am I just trading one prison for another?"

Oliver lifted an eyebrow. "It's not a prison if you're free to walk out the door at any time. And while I realize you were terrified when you first arrived here today, your father understood I wouldn't hurt you. Perhaps it's a weakness on my part, but I wouldn't make an innocent young woman pay for his mistakes. That being said, I don't appreciate him taking advantage of my sense of fairness, and I'll see that he atones for it." His demeanor was decidedly cooler as he started to leave the bed. "If you're worried about staying here, I'll have Ted bring the money you're owed, and you can return to your father."

"I'm sorry." Leaning forward, I grasped his arm. "I didn't mean that. I want to stay, Oliver."

His expression softened as he stroked my cheek. "And I'm sorry, too. You told me earlier that you didn't want to know anything about my dealings with your father, and I should have respected your wishes." I welcomed the kiss he planted on my mouth. "Now, I have to finish up some work in my office, but I want you to make yourself at home. While you're staying here, this will be your room."

"Really?" I cried. "I get to see that gorgeous view every day?"

"Wait till you see the sunrise over the hills." Again, he gave me a smile full of affection.

Though I tried not to openly stare at Oliver's naked body as he got dressed, the temptation proved too much to resist. Catching a glimpse of the scratches I'd given him, I had to wince. "I'm sorry for what I did to your back."

His smile never wavered. "I told you, I liked it. Do you realize how exciting it was to make you lose control like that during your first time? And whenever I feel the sting of those scratches, I'll remember the way you looked when I was inside you."

For the countless time, I blushed at Oliver's words. As he regarded me, the tenderness was evident on his face. "You're exhausted, Dreama. Why don't you take a hot bath, and I'll have Damien bring up dinner for you."

"Thank you." Taking a deep breath, I worked up the nerve to ask, "Are you and Damien related? You look a lot alike."

"That's quite perceptive of you. He's my cousin."

While making every effort to sound casual, I fished for more details. "Has he worked for you long?"

Oliver shot me a look that let me know he was on to my ploy. "For about five years now. Right after Damien turned eighteen, his father threw him out of the house. He couldn't bear the thought of having a gay son. Damien tried to make it on his own for a while, but eventually, he ended up at my door. I gave him a job managing the household, and he's proven himself beyond capable, requiring nothing more than a small auxiliary staff to assist him."

"He must be very grateful to you."

"Well, he's certainly made himself indispensable around here." After putting on his suit coat, Oliver started back toward the bed. I hurried to grab his cigarette case and offer it to him. With a wry grin, he took it. "Are you trying to make yourself indispensable, too, sweetheart?"

I managed a shrug. "Just being helpful."

Oliver studied me thoughtfully for a moment, then seemed to come to a decision. "Once you're settled in here, I'll make an appointment for you to see a doctor I trust. He can go over options for contraception with you. In the meantime, we'll use condoms. No sense in pushing our luck." The parting kiss he gave me was filled with so much desire that I thought he might be tempted to stay. Instead, he straightened back up. Before striding toward the door, he added, "Welcome to your new life, Dreama."