A Midsummer Night's Scream (The Dulcie O'Neil Series Book 7)

by H. P. Mallory

  “I do? How’s that?”

  I pretended to be deep in thought for the next few seconds to avoid answering. I’d never been much of an actress, but this seemed like a good way to prolong the theatrics. “Well, since you have been gone for soooo long, and I acted as the boss around here, I’ve sort of let all that power go to my head.”

  “You don’t say,” he responded with a chuckle. Crossing one ankle over the other, he observed me with a smile. The man had no business being so damn sexy. It should have been illegal. Holy Hades, for all I knew, maybe in some states, it was.

  “It’s unfortunate, but yes,” I replied, shaking my head like the whole thing was a shameful tragedy. “I’m just not sure I can follow anybody’s rules anymore. I mean, I’m much more partial to following my own.”

  Knight nodded as he exhaled deeply and rubbed the back of his neck. Then he focused on his feet. “That creates quite the conundrum then,” he admitted with a quick glance at me. His eyes seemed to dance as a mischievous smile overtook his mouth. “But I’m sure I can rectify the situation. If I’m good at anything, it’s reschooling any employees who dare to go rogue.”

  I shook my head, trying to stifle my smile, while staying in character. Even though I was more than looking forward to our sexual reunion, which certainly hovered on the horizon, I had to admit our little game possessed its own level of delicious foreplay.

  “Yeah, well, I’m not ready to hand over the power, or the control; not just yet.” I sighed as I continued to shake my head. “You’re going to find yourself with quite a fight on your hands.”

  “Luckily for you, I’m a lover … and a fighter,” Knight answered with a hearty chuckle.

  Standing up, he began approaching me. When he was maybe a foot away, he stopped walking. I had to restrain myself from closing my eyes and inhaling as deeply as I could. I wanted nothing more than to fill myself with his clean, masculine scent. Instead, I held my ground and continued our charade, truthfully loving every minute of it.

  I watched him reach for me and grasp my upper arms in his large hands. A shiver of nervous anticipation raced through me, causing my breath to catch. I could already feel something beginning to blossom deep down in my core. Something that felt like an intense stinging blended with the thrill of anticipation.

  “I won’t give in easily,” I warned him with a smile.

  “I wouldn’t expect otherwise, my little hellcat.” He stared down at me for a few seconds, his eyes alight with passion. “Especially now that you’re going AWOL.”

  I shook my head and made a tsking sort of noise to let him know he was way off base. “No, Knightley, I’m not going AWOL, I’ve already gone AWOL.”

  “Ah, so it’s progressed to that stage, has it?” I didn’t respond as I watched his eyes glow even more brightly before another smile curled his full lips.

  “It has,” I answered resolutely. “Sounds like you’ve got a long, difficult road ahead of you, Knightley, my man.”

  “That’s Officer Vander to you,” he corrected me.

  Then he jerked me forward, and none too gently. I brought my hands up against his chest to keep my face from slamming into him. When I caught my breath, I looked up and instantly lost myself in the stunning cerulean blue of his eyes. Less than three inches of air separated us, but that was dwindling fast, owing to my increased respiration.

  Boiling with exhilaration, I couldn’t help but notice how Knight dwarfed me with his enormous body. His impressive size was one of the things that thrilled me the most about him. The extreme difference in our heights and builds made me feel so feminine, so small and fragile and it was an observation that electrified me all the way to my core. As exhilarating as it was, it was also a weird thought, especially to me. I was generally known as the feisty, independent woman who could always take care of herself. Ordinarily, my code of law was kicking asses and taking names. Sometimes, though, I had to admit that I enjoyed the role of submissive to this deliciously dominant alpha male.

  Okay, well, let’s say, I enjoyed playing the role of sexually submissive. In general, “submissive” wasn’t a word that anyone would use to characterize me. And in my mind that was definitely a good thing.

  “Excuse me …,” I said with a small laugh. “Officer … Knight.”

  He narrowed his eyes in mock offense and I was suddenly overwhelmed by the need to feel his lips on mine. I was dying to taste him, to experience the delight of his tongue as it entered my mouth. The need inside me was growing to such an extent that it soon became an all-out conflagration, a burning desire that pleaded for relief.

  “I won’t tolerate insolence,” he whispered before releasing my right arm. His hold on my left arm tightened; and seconds later, I felt the sharp smack of his palm hitting my right butt cheek. All I was aware of was my sharp intake of breath as he unleashed his hand on my other cheek. The sting was momentary, and far outweighed by my own burning desire, which was mounting exponentially inside me.

  “Am I supposed to apologize?” I asked. My voice was a little breathy because I wanted nothing more than for him to smack my ass again.

  “You’re supposed to show some respect for your superiors,” he answered. He started massaging both of my cheeks, as if he felt bad for inflicting even the slightest amount of pain on them. Truth be told, I’d enjoyed every second of it.

  “And if I refuse?”

  He chuckled as he gripped my right cheek more tightly. “Then you must endure even more punishment.”

  “Hmm,” I replied. Rising up onto my tiptoes, I whispered into his ear, “What if the punishment is exactly what I’m after? Should I be punished even harder?”

  “You’re incorrigible,” he chuckled, but seconds later, he lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around him and he sat me down on top of the desk. Wedging his body between my legs, he said, “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.” His hot breath on my neck preceded a series of kisses that made my insides feel like they were melting.

  “I’m sure I have a pretty good idea,” I answered and reached for his erection, which was already straining for release from his pants. Maybe it was because of Knight’s rank, or because he was a detective, but he didn’t have to wear a uniform. He never had. And although I loved the way he dressed, at that moment I would have given just about anything to see his beautiful body clad in sexy, police-issue pants.

  “Don’t degrade what I’m trying to say by making it all about sex,” he chided me. He pulled away and gripped my chin, forcing me to look him right in the eyes. “Our sex life is unparalleled, and of course I’ve missed it, but that’s not what I was talking about.”

  “Okay, Mr. Serious.”

  “I am being serious,” he continued, his expression emphasizing the point. “I missed you, Dulcie.”

  “Point taken,” I said with a resolute nod. “Now let’s get back to the more fun stuff.”

  He shook his head and a sweet smile appeared on his lips. “Okay. But I want to make sure you know that I don’t think of you as just a hot piece of ass,” he explained before quirking a brow at me.

  “Hmm, what if I can’t say the same about you?”

  Feigning offense, he effortlessly lifted me off the desk and then took a seat on it. He put me on my feet and gripped me around my middle, forcing me to bend over his knees. With one arm across my back, he held me in place. Meanwhile his other hand gave me a healthy swat right across my backside.

  “So I’m just a piece of meat to you, am I?” he asked before unleashing his palm against my ass again.

  “You always valued truth above all else in our relationship, right?” I ground out, smiling up at him as non-apologetically as I could.

  He didn’t respond as he wound his arm back and unfurled it against my butt again, this time a little bit harder. The smack made my entire body bounce, so I dug my fingernails into his thighs.

  “You could always take back what you said, you know, and admit I’m your boss,” he announced, cocking his head to t
he side as he spoke. “I am a reasonable man.”

  “And why would I do that?” I inquired, shaking my head. “Especially when my punishment was just starting to get really good.”

  “Have it your way,” Knight shrugged as he smacked me again. Another four, and I decided I’d had enough. My butt was stinging, and then some.

  “Okay, okay,” I said, anxious to surrender. “I give up! You win!”

  “Say it,” he replied, straight-lipped. With a backwards glance, I noticed he held his hand up, as if poised to lay it on me if my answer displeased him.

  “Say what?”

  “Really?” he asked, shaking his head and frowning. “You don’t recall the conversation we were just having?”

  I smiled as apologetically as I could. “To be completely honest, I can’t remember anything before you started in on me. Forgive me; but every other thought I had just sort of blanched altogether from my mind.”

  “Unbelievable,” he grumbled, shaking his head again and frowning directly at me. I smiled even more broadly. “I was telling you how much I missed you,” he started.

  “Ah!” I interrupted, grinning as widely as I could. “I missed you too!”

  With a loud laugh, he lifted me off his knees and set me down on the desktop again, right beside him. I couldn’t help noticing how his hands lingered around my waist. We looked at each other for a few seconds, neither of us saying anything, as both of our smiles disappeared.

  “I love you, Dulcie O’Neil,” Knight whispered.

  “I love you, Knightley Vander,” I whispered back before running my hands up his arms.

  I loved feeling the swells of his forearms and biceps. But as much as I appreciated Knight’s body, it was his face that always held me spellbound. Most specifically, his eyes. They were kind, loyal, strong, and determined. In the depths of his irises, though, there was something else. Something deep and something dark. Knight hadn’t exactly led an easy life. I could read the magnitude of his struggles in the depths of his eyes, as well as the fact that he was a survivor. Right now, however, the vastness of his love for me dominated his eyes and his expression in general.

  “So are you going to kiss me, or what?” I demanded. It felt like I was on the precipice of losing myself in the awe-inspiring sapphire of his gaze. And that, although nice, wasn’t my main goal at the moment.

  He chuckled and bent his head down before covering my lips with his very full ones. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer when his tongue invaded my mouth. I couldn’t seem to catch my breath. A deep ache started to build from inside me. My tongue met his tongue with territorial fierceness. I wanted to taste him; I needed it badly. Our tongues mated while I wrapped my legs around his middle and pushed my abdomen onto his straining erection. He had to put both of his palms flat on the desk so we wouldn’t topple over. Once he did, I managed to pull myself against him even harder, conveying how badly I desired him.

  Over the last two months, I’d imagined our reunion numerous times. And I’d always pictured Knight taking me slowly, gently making love to me. Now? The idea of going slow and gentle left everything to be desired. Now my need was almost frantic in its demand to be satiated. I couldn’t wait a second longer. I reached down and gripped his throbbing erection with both hands, rubbing it up and down on top of his pants. Knight didn’t stop kissing me, but leaned closer and his tongue delved inside my mouth more deeply.

  I couldn’t wait to unzip his pants. As soon as I did, I slipped his hard penis through the hole in his boxers. He broke away from me and glanced down briefly. He was totally out in the open and such a completely glorious sight to behold.

  “Dulcie,” he started in a disappointed tone. “Don’t rush. Let me taste you.”

  “No,” I nearly interrupted him. “I need to feel you inside me. Right now.”

  He studied me for a few seconds. Then his expression changed to one of sudden impatience, probably mirroring my own. Sliding off his pants, he dropped them to the floor; then his boxers followed. He snatched my ball cap and pulled it off my head, letting it fall onto the desk beside me. His eyes never strayed from mine as he expertly unbuttoned my jeans before unzipping them and pulling them down my thighs. I decided to help him out by pulling my shirt over my head until I was only clad in my bra and panties. But then remembering my sports bra wasn’t exactly the sexiest, I wasted no time in removing it, too.

  Knight’s eyes immediately fastened onto my naked breasts. He leaned down and took my left nipple between his teeth. I dropped my head back and arched up against him when he rolled the sensitive nub against his tongue. When his fingers began rubbing the outside of my panties, I couldn’t help moaning loudly.

  “Please, Knight,” I whispered, too eager to drag this out any longer than we needed to. I ached to have him thrusting inside me. I needed to feel him; I needed us to reunite as one.

  His response was a chuckle as he slid my panties to the side and ran his index finger up and down my opening. I nearly jumped right out of my skin.

  “Please,” I whispered again, thrusting my pelvis toward him for easier access, but he just pulled his erection away from me.

  “Please what?” he asked as I opened my eyes and glared at him.

  “Knight, I can’t wait any longer,” I pleaded, my voice sounding strained. “I need to feel you inside me right now.”

  “I was expecting a fight,” he replied with a wide smile. “Didn’t you promise me one?”

  “Really?” I asked, sarcastically. “How about this—if you don’t bury yourself inside me in two seconds, you’re going to have the fight of your life!”

  He didn’t say anything but just continued to smile down at me, the look of seduction in his eyes. I met his gaze with as much impudence as I could muster. When he didn’t make any motion to comply with my demand, I spread my legs wider. Lifting my torso up to his, I practically performed a charade of what I wanted, and in no uncertain terms. He continued to stare down at me, although he positioned himself closer to my entrance. When I felt the head of his penis bobbing against me, I tried to push myself down against it, to force him inside me, but again, he retreated.

  “Repeat after me,” he said. “You’re my boss and I answer to you.”

  I opened my eyes and then narrowed them at him and replied, “Never.”

  He cocked his head to the side and pulled away from me. The stark coldness of the air on my very hot lady parts was almost enough to bring tears to my eyes.

  “Two can play this game, my dear,” he said in a victorious tone. “Now, repeat after me ‘I, Dulcie O’Neil, do fully submit to my boss, Knightley Vander, who, I now declare, has complete authority over me.’”

  “You’re really going to force this issue right now?” I asked in disbelief. I hated knowing I would probably have to give in but there was no way I could wait any longer. My body was in a state of dire need and it was demanding instant gratification.

  “In short, yes.”

  “Oh my God,” I grumbled with a deep breath and readied myself to hand him the victory. “I, Dulcie O’Neil, do fully submit to Knightley …”

  “No, you missed a part,” he interrupted with a shake of his head. “You’re supposed to say ‘to my boss, Knightley Vander,” he finished, giving me an expression that said I had better get it right.

  “Ugh,” I muttered, shaking my head. “… Do fully submit to my boss, Knightley Vander, who, I now declare, has complete control …”

  “Authority,” he corrected me.

  “Authority over me,” I finished with a perturbed scowl. “There, you won! Satisfied?”

  He pushed the head of his penis over my most sensitive place, causing me to arch back before a moan escaped my mouth. Any words of frustration or resistance were instantly forgotten.

  “No, I’m not satisfied yet,” he announced before extracting himself from me again.

  “What?” I scolded him, opening my eyes, and finding him smiling happily at me. “You’re unbelieva
ble!”

  “There’s more; I want to hear more from you,” he said with a shrug. “Repeat after me: ‘I, Dulcie O’Neil, recognize Knightley Vander as my boss, and from here on out, I will follow all of his orders without pause or question.’”

  “I have half a mind to get my vibrator.”

  “That would require a trip home, and I think we both known that isn’t going to happen,” he answered in a calm tone. He already knew he’d won. “So, get to it.”

  I inhaled deeply, narrowing my eyes at him all the while. “I, Dulcie O’Neil,” I started before swallowing my breath as soon as I felt him rubbing his throbbing erection against my opening again.

  “Go on,” he encouraged me.

  “I,” I started again, trying to pay attention to what was coming out of my mouth. “I, Dulcie O’Neil, recognize Knightley Vander as my boss,” I quoted, spitting the words out. In response, Knight thrust the head of his erection inside me as I screamed out and arched against him. It was all I could do to moan the rest of the words.

  Seconds later, he pulled out again. “Continue!” he commanded me.

  “And I will follow all your orders!” I yelled out, arching against him again as soon as he pushed himself fully inside me. I gripped his back, digging my fingernails into his tan skin as he pumped inside me a few times.

  “And?” he persisted in a deep, gravelly voice.

  “Without pause or question!” I regurgitated as he gripped my waist with both of his hands. He lifted me so he could thrust inside me even more deeply. I threw my head back and wrapped my legs around his middle as tightly as I could. He pulled out and then pushed into me, each of us moaning in turn.

  Without any warning, he suddenly pulled up. Our lower halves were still joined as he pushed me down against the desk, holding me there. When I looked up at him in question, his eyes were glowing.

  “You are mine,” he announced as he stared down at me. He withdrew and then began pushing inside me gently.