by Siobhan Muir
Yeah, a helluva lot more than I did.
Viper had become my first and closest friend, and she taught me a lot about being human that even Loki couldn’t. And for that I owed her more than she’d paid me.
“You better flaunt it. I like watching a sexy woman walk around, and the honeys aren’t cutting it.”
Viper scowled. “Girlfriend, please. Those girls are too young to flaunt anything yet. Give them a few years and they might come close to my skills. And I stress might.”
I laughed again. “True that. I think most of them hope to be you.”
Viper abruptly sobered. “No, they really don’t.” She looked away and I cursed under my breath. But before I could say anything, she straightened her shoulders and gave me a smile as fake as a three-dollar bill. “But we can let them dream. Hey, I’m gonna go check on the barn to see how things are going out there. Be back later.”
I nodded and watched her saunter out of the clubhouse, her head held high and her back straight. I knew she was hurting, but I couldn’t think of what had set her off. Hopefully she’d tell me later, but Viper was a private person with lots of secrets. If I could wish one thing for her, it was that she’d find someone to offer her the steadfast romance she read about in her books. She’d become hard because she had to and she was the strongest human I knew. She’d taught me a lot about resilience, but I wanted her to have some ease, too.
Eventually, the party wound down and most people drifted off to bed. Neo, Dollhouse, and I cleaned up the remnants and set out the hangover remedies for the morning slog before we turned out the lights. I stepped out of the clubhouse doors into the clear night and took a deep breath. I had a hot guy waiting for me in bed, but I wanted to shake off the residuals of the party before I crawled in beside him.
He wasn’t pure by any stretch of the imagination, and he still held secrets I needed to understand before I committed to him. But what we had between us represented all my hopes. It was pure and fragile and precious, and I didn’t want to tarnish it with the sloppy desperation I’d sensed in the revelers. We were all searching for love and a sense of belonging, and some tried to find it in the parties.
Damn, I’m maudlin tonight.
I shook my head and strode to my cabin, hoping to leave my sappy thoughts behind. But the moment I opened my door, Coop’s scent hit me and my heart turned all gooey again. I found him lying on the couch, his body curled up in the fetal position so he could fit. His laptop and phone sat neatly stacked on the table and his bag rested beside the chair, out of the walkway.
I smiled. He already understood my need for order and kept his clutter to a minimum. And maybe he’s the same. As a man who spent his life running around investigating people and places on the go, he didn’t have space for messes or clutter.
I pulled off my boots and set them near the door before I crouched next to him and studied his face in the dim glow of the kitchenette light over the stove. He wore exhaustion around his eyes and mouth, but sleep relieved some of the stress lines on his forehead. He was handsome when awake, but his beauty increased as he slept.
I pushed some of his hair back from his forehead and he opened his eyes, immediately awake. He hadn’t moved, but all the relaxed beauty left his face as he focused his attention on me.
“Hey.” I gave him a smile.
“Hi.”
“That doesn’t look very comfortable. How ’bout you come to bed with me?”
He sat up and rolled his head on his neck, trying to loosen up the kinks he’d surely gotten from sleeping in that position. “Yeah, okay, Ma’am. What time is it?”
“Oh dark thirty.” I grinned at his snort. “Come on. Let’s get you stripped down and into bed. I’ll be right behind you.”
He nodded and rolled to his feet, but he stopped and wrapped his arms around me before I could move away. I glanced up at him with surprised and he tilted his head.
“Do you want me to eat your pussy, Ma’am?”
His offer mirrored my earlier thoughts, but I smiled and shook my head. “Not tonight, Coop. I’d rather fall asleep wrapped up in your sexy body and soak up your warmth.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Are you cold?”
“No, I just like having a handsome teddy bear man to keep me warm at night.” I stepped out of his arms and pointed at the bedroom. “Now, go get naked and I’ll be right behind you.”
He gave me a sultry smile as he pulled his shirt over his head. I couldn’t help the gasp of delight. I loved the line of hair between his abs, but his back was nothing to scoff at. Those muscles covering his bones and shoulders made me want to fondle and lick. But tonight, I wanted to snuggle.
“Tease. Get in bed.”
He laughed and I waved him into the room while I locked the door and turned off the light over the stove. He used the bathroom while I undressed, and I took my time, folding and putting away my clothes carefully. If I expected my sub to do it, I needed to set a good example. Coop returned to the room and slid under the covers as I’d ordered. But instead of lying there, he lifted up the sheets and blankets when I came to the bed, offering me the space beneath.
“Come to bed, Ma’am, and let me warm you up.”
Yearning and delight shot through me as I settled beneath the sheets. He dropped them over me and pulled my back against his chest, my ass settling at his groin. I wiggled a little to fit his cock and balls into the cleft of my ass, and he rumbled a chuckle at my back.
“Trying to get me hard, Ma’am?”
“No, just trying to get comfortable. Why, are you getting hard?”
“No, Ma’am. Just wondered if you wanted me to.”
“Not tonight, Coop. I’m really tired and want to rest.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
He settled down behind me, wrapping his arm around my waist. I closed my eyes and listened to his breathing, so grateful to have him there. I normally didn’t like to sleep with anyone. Most of the people I’d had sex with weren’t the ones I wanted to sleep beside. They were good enough to scratch the itch of my arousal, but not trustworthy enough to share my bed.
But Coop was both trustworthy and sexy, and I wanted him to stay around me more often. For some reason, he made me feel safe and relaxed enough to sleep. Karma never sleeps, but while the energy of consequences carried on forever, living in a physical body required me to rest. And with Coop I could do it without fear.
I want him to stay forever.
It was a lovely thought, but a bit early to hope for. I’d take tonight and enjoy the hell out of it.
Chapter Ten
Cooper
I’d never slept so well in my life. Even as a kid I’d be up every few hours, my mind refusing to calm down for long. As an adult, it had gotten worse with the stresses of the job and the few undercover stints.
But lying wrapped around Karma shut my mind down and sent me into a deep, dreamless sleep. I’d never experienced it before, but I knew I needed more. She made me feel safe, content, and protected even though I was wrapped around her. I woke feeling refreshed and sharper than usual, and I realized I was already addicted to her.
“Good morning, Coop. Did you sleep well?”
I opened my eyes to find her standing beside the bed with a large mug of steaming coffee, wearing nothing but a short, peach-colored silk robe. I wasn’t sure which image was more delicious—the hot coffee or woman in a robe barely clinging to her curves.
Both. Both is good.
“I did sleep well. How ’bout you?” I frowned, dismayed that she’d both gotten up before me and I never noticed her leave the bed. “Aren’t you still tired?”
She shook her head as she handed me the coffee. “I don’t need much sleep.”
I sipped the coffee and groaned. “Oh, glory, that’s good. Thank you, Ma’am.”
She grinned. “You’re welcome. I’d bet dollars to doughnuts you’re having a better wake up than most of the Concrete Angels. We made sure to set out all the hangover remedies last night
, and I’m sure Grub added the raw eggs and small shots of hair-of-the-dog this morning.”
I grimaced. “Oh, yeah, I remember those mornings. Thank Goddess I’m done with that part of my life. Those kinds of morning suck.”
She tilted her head and gave me a perplexed smile. “You invoke the Goddess a lot for a…man. Why is that?”
I shrugged. “It made more sense to me. If the divine is supposed to be loving, protective, nurturing, and life-giving, it makes sense it has a female energy. Most of the men I’ve met are angry, threatening, destructive, and violent, even with their kids. I’d rather have a warrior goddess watching my back than an angry, vengeful god any day.” I shrugged and sipped more coffee. My views on such things weren’t met with a lot of enthusiasm so I usually kept them to myself.
But Karma smiled and I felt like I’d passed some sort of test.
“So, what are you going to do today?”
I shrugged. “I’m gonna talk to Numbers to see what places she dug up to trace the money. Once I know what she’s done, I’ll be able to start making inroads to the places she can’t get to. I have a hunch about where your money has gone, but I won’t know until I see what Numbers found.”
Karma nodded as she rose and headed for the bathroom. “Smart. No point in re-inventing the wheel.”
“Exactly.” I set the mug down on the side table and swung my feet to the floor. “Are you gonna take a shower, Ma’am?” I hurried after her, hoping for the chance to see her naked under the hot water.
“Yes, that was my plan.”
“Would you like me to wash your back?” I waggled my eyebrows and grinned as she laughed.
“That would be great. As long as you let me wash yours.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
I ducked around her and turned on the water in the shower, adjusting the temperature to be comfortable for both of us. Then I dried my hands and turned to her.
“Let me take you out of that robe, Ma’am.”
She turned her back and shrugged out of the soft, orange silk. I loved the way it slid over her skin with a soft hiss and my cock saluted both the sound and the sight. Damn, I wanted to brush up against her back and rock my hips with my cock between her butt cheeks. I loved how she’d wiggled her ass last night, making sure my dick fit in her crack as we slept. It had turned me on and comforted at the same time.
I hung the robe on a hook and handed her into the shower. She sighed as she stepped under the spray and my dick flexed in appreciation. I stepped in behind her, grateful she had a large upright shower. Nothing worse than trying to be sexy in a coffin box with nozzles.
Karma dropped her head under the water to wet her hair down and I took the time to grab the puff and fill it with bodywash.
“Let me wash you, Ma’am.”
“You may.”
It might seem weird to enjoy taking orders, but her commands filled me with a sense of purpose and belonging that I hadn’t felt since I was a kid. My mom had been frail with a rare bone pathology that made her body brittle. She wasn’t weak by any stretch of the imagination, but one little bump against a kitchen drawer could shatter her arm. I’d learned to always make sure she was stable and free of obstacles so she could enjoy life. I served her and it brought me joy and satisfaction to do it right. When she died, I’d felt adrift.
I needed to serve Karma to feel content and complete again. I needed to ensure her pleasure and comfort to secure my own, and it brought back the good memories of serving my mother with my superior strength. My mom was long gone, but I could offer the same strength to Karma.
I lathered up the puff and scrubbed it over her back and butt, following with my hands to smooth the suds on her skin. I loved the sensation of her soft skin slick with soap and my cock echoed my sentiments with more flexing. I dropped to my knees to wash her feet and legs, taking my time over her heels.
She giggled a little and turned, rinsing the soap off her back. I kept scrubbing her legs, taking my time as I rose up to her groin. I glanced up at her and found her gaze on mine, her attention anticipatory.
“May I clean your pussy, Ma’am?”
“You may.”
Her voice came out in a purr as I soaped my hand and slid it between her legs, curling my fingers to fit between her folds. She tossed her head back and closed her eyes, rocking on my hand. I looked up her body, enjoying her clenching muscles and her hard little nipples. They stood out from her body, begging to be sucked, but I kept my attention on her pussy lips and her ass. I wanted her to be clean as well as pleasured.
I stroked her with more patience than I felt, but watching her writhe on my hand as she grew wetter and wetter, turned me on more than I thought possible. When I slid two fingers into her hot slit, she gasped and rocked her hips against them.
“That’s it, Ma’am. Fuck my fingers. Let me give you pleasure.”
To be honest, I wanted to eat that pussy so much my balls ached. But I contented myself with rubbing and stroking her up to a fever pitch before I strummed her clit with my thumb.
Karma came with a scream of joy and my name on her lips. I stroked and strummed and wished I could put my mouth on her pussy to lap up her cum. But I kept my ministrations constant until she came back down from her glorious flight of ecstasy. Then I soaped up my hand and cleaned her before rising to my feet to finish her torso and arms.
“You are insanely good at that, Coop.”
I smirked. “Thank you, Ma’am. Let me know any time you need help in the shower and I’ll be here.”
She laughed and rinsed her body, taking the puff from me. Bone-deep satisfaction tumbled through me at the contentment I could hear in her laugh despite my hard, aching cock. Her pleasure and release gave me more satisfaction than any of my own orgasms. The idea surprised me, but I couldn’t doubt its veracity.
“Okay, now you.” She turned and stepped to the side, offering me the water.
“Me, Ma’am?”
“Yup. Not only do I want to wash your fuckin’ sexy body, but I want to suck cock.” She winked as she shoved me into the water. “Breakfast of champions.”
I laughed as I filled the puff with bodywash and handed it to her while I soaked my body. My dick pointed at her with an imperative, but if she never touched it, I’d still be satisfied. She gave me a smile as she lathered her hands then motioned me to turn my back to her. I obeyed, closing my eyes as the water sluiced down my face and chest.
Karma started at my shoulders and neck, massaging as well as scrubbing my skin. Her fingers worked at some of the hard knots left over from sleeping on the ground for a few weeks while I observed the Concrete Angels’ compound. I groaned as she rubbed the muscles down either side of my spine to the small of my back, digging her knuckles into them.
When she moved on to my ass, she kept her touches light, using the puff to clean the skin before she slid one hand between my butt cheeks and fingered my tiny hole. She didn’t penetrate the ring of muscles, but her questing fingers made a thorough inspection. I widened my stance as I leaned forward on my arms, letting my head hang.
She pushed her hand between my legs and massaged my balls. I jerked and whimpered a little as she rolled the scrotum in her slick hand. Each touch set off a spark of arousal, making my cock jerk with need. Pre-cum dripped from the tip and I wished she would run her hands over my aching flesh.
“Turn around, Coop.”
Her hand disappeared from my balls and its absence jerked me into motion. I needed her hands on me more than I needed my next breath. I stood in front of her, letting the water rinse my back as she rose to her feet, her breasts and arms covered in soap suds.
“Do you need the water, Ma’am?”
“No, I’m fine. Now, I need you to stand there with your feet hip-width apart and keep your eyes down on your cock. Do you understand?”
I swallowed hard and dropped my gaze. “Yes, Ma’am.”
“Good man.”
With my gaze down, I could see her hands and the puff sli
ding over my chest and belly, taking her time to clean each ridge and valley of muscle. It was sexy as hell to watch her detailed efforts on my skin, and my balls tightened up to the base of my cock as arousal surged through my system. Glory, I wanted her to touch my dick. With her hands. With her mouth. With her pussy. I didn’t care as long as she wrapped something around my aching length.
“Good job, Coop.” Karma dropped to my feet to clean the fronts of my legs. When her hands circled my cock, I moaned and thrust my hips before I could stop myself.
“Oh ho, someone’s turned on.” The humor in her voice kept me from letting my snark out from behind my teeth. “Turn and rinse off, then I’ll do something about it.”
I rinsed off my body as quickly as I could before I turned back to her, ready for whatever she’d give me.
“Let’s switch places. I want to be sure you’re all clean.”
I whimpered as my cock made movement an exercise in desperation, but I slid out of the water and stood with my back to the wall. She rinsed her body and the puff before she turned her back to the spray and scanned me with narrowed eyes.
“Did I say you could take your eyes off your dick?”
“No, Ma’am. Sorry, Ma’am.” I dropped my gaze to my straining shaft and waited, a thrill zipping through me at her tone of warning. I loved when she brought the sharpness back.
“Now, Coop, I want you to listen very carefully. I’m going to suck your cock until you can’t hold back anymore. But you must not come until I tap your hip. Like this.” She dropped her right hand to my left hip and patted it with her fingers. “Do you understand?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Good. Because I’m not going to take my mouth off your dick and I want you to keep your gaze on me while I suck you off. You can’t close your eyes, you can’t throw your head back. You have to watch me make you come. Do you understand?”
I shivered and nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”
“Very good.”
She dropped to her knees in front of me with her back in the spray of water, and it had to be one of the sexiest things I’d ever seen. I had to fight the urge to pull her back up, uneasy with her kneeling before me because the Madam never kneels, but she’d said this was her pleasure and she wanted to do this, so I left her alone.
