by Maya Banks
THIRTY
“DO you think they’ll last?” Kylie asked anxiously as she sat next to Jensen on the sofa.
She was curled into the crook of his shoulder, her arm stretched across his midsection while they watched a ridiculous end-of-the-world B movie. The best kind.
He stroked her hair and then pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “What I think is that we can’t control what happens in their relationship. We can only control what happens in ours.”
Kylie let out a hmmph. “Since when did you get all sage and philosophical?”
He chuckled. “I’m just smart like that. I chose you, didn’t I? That makes me the smartest guy on the planet.”
“Well, there is that . . .” she said smugly.
He shifted, turning slightly so he faced her instead of sitting side-by-side with her. “Speaking of . . .”
She cocked her head, worry assailing her at the sudden seriousness of his tone and expression. Good God, surely he wasn’t breaking up with her.
“I know this may be too soon,” he said hesitantly. “We’re still going to therapy and I know we have a long way to go, but I know my feelings aren’t going to change for you. I love you. I always will. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“Oh Jensen,” she whispered. “Swear to God if you make me cry I’ll kick your ass.”
He grinned and then pulled a small velvet jeweler’s box from underneath the sofa cushion. Then he slid from his perch on the couch and got down on one knee, opening the box to reveal a sparkling diamond engagement ring.
“Will you marry me, Kylie? We don’t have to set a date right away. I just want your promise that one day, when you’re ready, that I’ll be the man you marry.”
She couldn’t breathe around the knot in her throat and the weight bearing down on her chest. Tears blurred her vision and she sucked in a steadying breath through distended nostrils. Her hands shook uncontrollably but he made no move to slide the ring on her finger. He was waiting for her answer.
She threw her arms around his neck, holding on to him for dear life. “Yes! Oh my God, yes. I love you so much, Jensen. There’s no one I’d rather spend the rest of my life with than you.”
“Thank fuck,” he muttered. “You scared the shit out of me there for a moment when you were so silent. I thought I’d screwed up and moved too fast.”
“No one can ever accuse you of taking things slow and easy,” she teased.
“I move fast when there’s something I want. Why wait? I couldn’t take the risk that some other guy would steal you away from me.”
She rolled her eyes. “As if. No one else would put up with me. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”
“There’s no one I’d rather be stuck with than you,” he said, nearly echoing her own words.
“Thank fuck,” she said, returning his words in kind. “What was it we decided? We’ll be fucked up together?”
He laughed. “That about sums it up. Hell, who else would put up with us but each other? I guess that means we’re perfect for one another.”
“Hell yes,” she said fervently.
“Don’t you think you should put the ring on now?” he asked in a teasing voice.
“Oh my God, I almost forgot the ring!”
He pulled the ring from the velvet clasp and his hands shook as much as hers as he gently pushed it onto her ring finger.
She stared at it in awe. “This is huge!” she whispered. “I’m afraid to wear it, Jensen. What if I lose it? Or the diamond falls out? I’ll live in terror of something happening to it.”
He kissed her on the nose. “That’s what insurance is for.”
She wrinkled her nose as he drew away. “They insure rings?”
“Of course. You can insure anything of value. So now you can wear it without worrying that you’ll lose it. In fact, I will not be pleased if you ever take it off. This ring signals that you’re mine.”
“I think I can live with that,” she said with a smile. “Now what can we do to celebrate?” she asked innocently.
“Oh I can think of something,” he growled.
He swept her up and into his arms and carried her toward the bedroom, his mouth fused to hers.
THIRTY-ONE
CHESSY hummed cheerfully as she bustled around the kitchen putting the finishing touches on dinner. Tate had called earlier to let her know he was on his way home and he should be pulling up any second.
Just as she set the pan of baked chicken out on the table, she heard the front door open and she turned to greet him as soon as he walked through the kitchen door.
“Mmm, smells delicious,” he said as he swept her into his arms, kissing her thoroughly in greeting.
“If you’re ready to eat, go ahead and sit unless you want to get changed into more comfortable clothing first,” she said.
He simply loosened his tie and removed his coat, tossing it over one of the unused chairs at the table, and then took his seat catty corner to where Chessy would sit. She made one more trip to the stove to carry the two pots of vegetables to the table and then she sat down with Tate.
He served up the chicken for them both and she spooned out corn onto her plate before passing it to Tate. Butter beans were next and then they both dug in.
“How was work?” she asked. “How is the new partnership going?”
Tate hesitated and glanced up, his expression growing serious. Her stomach plummeted and she braced herself for what was to come. Surely not again . . .
“I may be late the next two days,” he said quietly. “We have a very important meeting with a large company who wants us to manage their private equity fund. It would be a huge account and if we ace this then it will set us at the forefront of financial firms. It could very well lead to more business.”
Her brow furrowed, confused by the worry she saw in his eyes.
“Tate, are you worried that I’m going to be pissed because you’re going to be late a couple of days?”
He looked chagrinned. “You have to admit the timing sucks. I just get you to move back in and give us another chance and after only a few days I have to tell you that I’ll be late because of an important meeting.”
She reached for his hand, hoping her sincerity showed. “I don’t expect you to sacrifice your entire career in order to kiss my ass. I understand you have to work, that you have clients and important meetings. My problem before arose from the fact that it was all the time and that when you were at home, you weren’t really here, if that makes any sense. You’d pulled away completely from me. We were like two strangers living in the same house. But it’s not like that now.”
“I hope you know it won’t be that way.”
“I do, Tate. I do.”
His face softened with relief. The he squeezed her hand. “How are you and the little one doing?”
“We’re doing great,” she said enthusiastically. “I called to set up my first OB appointment today with the same one Joss uses. I was queasy this morning but managed not to throw up. I think I’m handling it far better than poor Joss.”
“Tell me when you appointment is,” he said seriously. “I won’t miss it for anything.”
“It’s on the thirteenth. A Wednesday.”
“I’ll mark it down on my planner. What time?”
“Ten in the morning.”
“How about I just plan to go into work after your appointment. I’ll stick around and drive you to the doctor and we’ll have lunch after.”
“That sounds wonderful,” she said with a bright smile.
He studied her a long moment, his gaze drifting over her features. “You look happy,” he said. “I hadn’t realized how long it’s been since you truly looked happy. I’m so sorry, Chess.”
Her heart softened at the vulnerability and true regret in his voice. “You make me happy, Tate. You’ve always had the power to make me the happiest woman on earth.”
Left unsaid was that he also had the power to make her the unh
appiest woman in the world. But he understood.
“If you’re going to miss dinner tomorrow night, I may see if Joss and Kylie want to go out,” Chessy said.
Tate nodded. “Tomorrow we’re holding a planning meeting. Not sure when we’ll wrap up but we’re planning to have dinner delivered to the office and eat there. Day after tomorrow, we’ll be in meetings starting at eleven with the CEO and CFO of Calder Enterprises. We’ll have lunch and then give a presentation and then likely have dinner so I’ll be out of pocket all day.”
Chessy stood to clear her plate from the table and she dropped a kiss on Tate’s cheek. “I have every confidence you’ll win the account.”
He stopped her, pulling her down into his lap so she had to set her plate back down on the table. He cuddled her to him, simply holding her as he kissed her forehead and then both eyes and finally her mouth.
“I love my girl. I don’t deserve such blind support, but knowing you believe in me makes me feel like I can accomplish anything.”
She put her palm to his jaw and then kissed him back. “Our child is counting on her father. I know you won’t fail her or me.”
He hugged her to him, shuddering with emotion. “I’m going to be a father,” he said in wonder.
Chessy smiled. “We may not have planned her but I’m thinking she must be very strong-willed because she was conceived in nearly impossible odds.”
“You think it’s a girl, huh.”
“Oh I’d love a boy or a girl. I’ve just gotten into the habit of saying her. I like to picture you with a precious little girl and spoiling her rotten.”
“I plan to spoil her mama rotten first,” he said gruffly. “I haven’t been a very good Dominant, Chessy. But that’s all going to change provided you still want my dominance. I’d understand if you didn’t.”
She stared lovingly at him. “I’m yours, Tate. You own me heart and soul. I need your dominance. I don’t want you to start trying to be someone you’re not because you’re afraid that I’ve changed. I’ve been waiting here all along for you—the real you—to come back to me.”
“In that case, forget the dishes and go into the bedroom. Take your clothes off and kneel in the middle of the bed.”
Excitement coursed through Chessy’s veins at the rough command in Tate’s voice. God, he sounded just like the Tate she knew and loved so well. She wasted no time in getting off his lap and hurrying toward the bedroom. She also didn’t waste any time worrying over whether their activities would hurt their baby because she trusted Tate implicitly. He’d never go too far and would always be mindful of their little one.
She undressed with little care, tossing her clothing on the floor in front of the walk-in closet. Then she climbed onto the bed and knelt in the center, facing the doorway so she’d immediately see Tate’s expression when he walked in.
A few moments later he walked through the door holding several lengths of soft rope, deep red in color. His eyes caught fire when he his gaze fell on her kneeling naked on the bed.
“Lie back,” he said in a husky voice. “Reach your hands toward the headboard and spread your legs toward the foot of the bed.”
She obediently complied, arranging herself so she was comfortable before lifting her hands above her head so that her knuckles just grazed the headboard.
“Who does my girl belong to?” Tate asked, the question familiar.
“You,” she whispered, arching her back as he trailed a fingertip down the middle of her body, over her belly and between her legs where he stroked and petted her most intimate flesh.
Still fully clothed, he straddled her body but was careful to remain up on his knees so her belly didn’t bear any of his weight. Then he reached above her head and coiled one length of the rope around her wrists before pulling it tightly upward to tether it to the headboard.
He moved off her body and then took both ankles, pushing them upward until her knees were bent and her heels rested against the bottoms of her thighs. Then he looped rope around her upper thigh and ankle, securing them together so she was spread wide. He repeated the process with her other ankle and then glanced at her to silently question her comfort level.
She gave him a reassuring smile so he’d know she was fine. How could she not be?
He stepped away from the bed and began slowly undressing. She stared unabashedly at him, drinking in his muscular body as he stripped down to his white briefs. The bulge of his erection was straining against his underwear, a rigid bow trying to push through.
Knowing what she liked, he reached inside his underwear instead of simply pulling the briefs down his legs and he pulled out his cock, stroking it as it strained upward toward his abdomen.
She licked her lips in anticipation and he groaned. Then as if deciding to be generous and give her again what she wanted, he climbed onto the bed, using one hand to turn her face toward him. He positioned his cock at her lips and tapped her cheek in a command to open for him.
He slid in immediately, his taste filling her mouth. She sucked avidly, running her tongue over the veins and the head, teasing and tracing every inch. Moisture beaded on the tip of his cock and she licked it away, humming her pleasure.
For several more minutes, he thrust gently into her mouth until she had to stretch to accommodate his burgeoning girth. Then finally he pulled free and she sucked in breaths to catch up, her nostrils flaring with the effort.
“It’s my turn to taste you,” he said, satisfaction edging his voice.
He crawled between her splayed-open thighs, her ankles bound to the bottoms of her thighs, rendering her completely helpless to whatever he chose to do. His hands slid over her breasts, tenderly caressing and plumping them.
“Tell me if I hurt you,” he said gravely. “I know you’re more sensitive now. The last thing I want to do is cause you discomfort.”
“You won’t hurt me,” she whispered. “Just don’t be as rough with them as you can sometimes be.”
He cupped her belly possessively and then leaned down and kissed the spot where her womb would one day expand with their growing child. His tenderness brought tears to Chessy’s eyes and her heart seized with love for this man. No, things hadn’t always been easy for them, but what marriage was perfect?
Wasn’t that what love and marriage were all about? Enduring the rocky roads, making mistakes and ultimately forgiving?
He nuzzled his way to her pussy, the flesh parted from the way she was bound. He licked and then sucked at her clit, causing her pelvis to clench and spasm underneath his expert mouth.
“I love seeing you this way,” he said, his voice laced with desire and emotion. “Bound, beautiful, completely at my mercy. But baby, I’ll have the tenderest of mercies with you.”
She shivered when his mouth returned to her pussy, licking, sucking in all the right places. His tongue slid inward, licking shallowly inside her, giving her a preview of what it would feel like when his cock replaced his tongue.
“Does my girl want my dick?”
“Yes, please,” she begged. “Take me, Tate. Own me. Show me I’m yours. Forever yours.”
He slid up her body, positioning himself at her opening but he only inserted the head of his penis inside her, thrusting with shallow little movements, tormenting her until she was sobbing with need.
Then with one forceful thrust, the teasing was over. He seated himself to the hilt, causing her to gasp at the instant fullness. It was a delicious balance of pleasure and pain because Tate was a large man and it wasn’t easy to gain full depth.
Her legs bound, her arms bound, there was nothing she could do except lie there and take whatever he did to her. He thrust into her, over and over, his hips arching, his entire body covering hers, undulating and writhing. His eyes were closed in exquisite torture, his forehead creased with tension.
His hips began slapping against her, frenzied as he pushed them closer and closer to the edge.
“Come for me, baby. Give me your release. Let me feel your wetne
ss around my dick.”
She let out a frantic cry as her orgasm crashed over her like breaking ocean waves. Her fingers curled into tight fists, straining against her bonds. She felt completely stretched to capacity, the aching fullness a delicious pleasure. The friction he caused by his swollen cock sent a surge of indescribable ecstasy cascading through her body.
And then he yanked himself from her pussy and reached down, grasping his cock. He pumped his hand up and down, his semen spurting onto her belly and then higher onto her breasts, marking her, branding her his possession.
He glanced down at the ropes of semen glistening on her skin, his eyes predatory and gleaming with satisfaction.
“My girl,” he said gruffly. He cupped her belly. “My child.”
She smiled up at him, exhausted by her orgasm. “We’re both yours, Tate. Always.”
“Let me get something to clean my girl up and then I’ll untie you so I can hold you in my arms.”
THIRTY-TWO
CHESSY was jittery and anxious for Tate’s big presentation today. True to his word, he’d been late the night before and had been exhausted when he’d gotten home. They’d gone to bed and he’d slept with her firmly nestled in his arms.
This morning he’d been awake early and had left the house at six, dressed in his most expensive suit. He’d looked positively delicious. It was all she could do to refrain from jumping his bones, but that would make him late and she knew how important today’s presentation was.
Not knowing how to pass the hours until Tate could tell her the results, she decided to do a thorough cleaning of the house since it had gone unattended in the time she’d been gone.
She dusted and got rid of all the clutter. Made up the bed and put a load of laundry to wash. Then she went to clean the kitchen floors, since that was her biggest annoyance.
Tate had wanted to hire a cleaning lady to come in twice a week because he hadn’t wanted Chessy to bear the workload of cleaning, but Chessy had refused. The idea of a stranger coming into her house gave her the shudders. She’d rather just do it herself so she’d know it was done right.
She dragged out the mop and then filled the sink with water and a cleaning agent. Then she started at the farthest point, mopping her way back toward the sink. When she was finished, she surveyed the sparkling floor with satisfaction.
She drained the water from the sink, wrung out the mop and then started toward the door leading onto the deck so she could put the mop out to dry.
She never even saw the still-wet patch of floor and as soon as her foot came down on it, she went flying, her feet coming out from underneath her. She landed with a painful thud that knocked the breath from her.
So stunned by the incident, she lay there trying to collect herself. She mentally went over every part of her body, trying to figure out if she was hurt. It seemed everything hurt.
She cautiously moved her arms and legs but when she tried to maneuver herself upward, pain surged through her back and abdomen. She froze, panic flooding her mind.
The baby.
Oh God, what if the baby was hurt? What if this caused her to miscarry? She was scared to death to even move.
She reached for the phone that thank God she’d kept in her pocket. She should’ve dialed 911 but her first thought was to call her friends. Joss didn’t answer so she called Kylie next.
“Hey girlfriend, what’s up?” Kylie’s cheerful voice rang in Chessy’s ear.
“Kylie, I need help,” Chessy said painfully. “I fell and I’m scared to get up. I’m worried about the baby.”
She broke down into tears as she said the last.
“Stay where you are,” Kylie commanded. “Jensen and I will be there in ten
