BLIND: A Mastermind Novel

by Lydia Michaels

  His head slowly turned, his eyes apologetic. “I’m not sure if I can deliver perfect, but I want this to be right.”

  “It is right,” she whispered.

  “I might…” he swallowed and glanced away. “I’ve waited a really long time for this—for you—longer than fourteen encounters. It’s closer to fourteen years. I’m afraid I won’t be able to…”

  Her hands cupped his jaw as she softly kissed his lips. “Asher, this may surprise you, but I’ve never been good at sex. You’re the only man that’s every made me feel sexy. If it’s over quickly, we’ll do it again. And again.” She grinned. “And again.”

  He chuckled, his smile full of relief. “God, I love you.”

  “No pressure, okay? We’re in this together.”

  His focus drifted over her shoulder and back to her. “Okay. You’ll have to pardon my occasional doubts. It’s a habit I’m trying really hard to break.”

  “I have those moments too. We can work through them together.”

  He kissed her, slow and deep until her toes curled. Gripping her wrist, he brought her hand to his cock. “Touch me, Ms. Farrow.”

  Her nipples tightened at the sudden commanding tone in his voice. She’d never expected to enjoy a demanding lover, but she loved it when he took control. With him, nothing was ordinary. Her fingers tightened as she slowly stroked him. His hips pressed into her as his mouth spread kisses across her shoulders and throat.

  The feel of his skin against hers was indescribable and she sensed him getting close as he gasped and whispered her name. His body tensed and he tried to pull back, but she wasn’t having any of that.

  “Your touch is the most incredible thing I’ve ever felt. Please don’t stop.”

  “I’ll never stop.” Her body flooded with arousal as his body trembled. Seeing him respond to her touch was incredibly erotic. “I’ve waited so long to touch you like this.”

  Her hand worked over his flesh as the most vulnerable, sensual sound left his throat and heat shot onto her belly.

  His arms pulled her close as he shook and pressed his face to her throat. “I’m sorry.”

  He had absolutely nothing to apologize for. The fact that she could actually make him lose control was euphoric. She pumped her fist one more time and his body trembled. Releasing him, she lifted her fingers and stared into his eyes as she slowly licked them. She’d waited an eternity to taste him. “Delicious.”

  Eyes wide, he let out a slow breath. “Fuck.”

  “Yes,” she agreed and smirked.

  He glanced down. “I’m going to need a moment.”

  Stretching beneath him, she sighed. “Hmmm… whatever could we do to pass the time?”

  His smile was slow and priceless. He laughed quietly and turned away for a split second, collecting himself and quickly cleaning up his release. When he looked back at her, he smirked and asked, “Ms. Farrow, do you need to come?”

  Her breasts lifted as her gaze softened and lust breathed between them. “Yes, Mr. Roan, I’d very much like to come.”

  “Then you shall.” He removed her pants with impressive speed. “Part your thighs and let me look at your pretty pussy.”

  His words were such a turn on her body immediately responded. Yes! This was the man she loved. This was the man that made every encounter stand apart from all the rest, gave her the courage to expose hidden parts of herself. Slowly, she drew her legs apart. “I’m very wet,” she confessed, as his eyes dropped to her core.

  He sat back and there were no words to describe how much it pleased her to watch him look at her with such hunger.

  “Your panties are soaked through, Ms. Farrow.” Her body pulsed as he spoke, his eyes focused on her core. “Pull the lace aside and let me see.”

  Her fingers slipped beneath the silk and she slowly exposed her sex. Cool air teased her folds as he stared at her and growled. Leaning close, he slid a finger deep and held. “Next will be my cock.”

  Her eyes rolled back as she gasped, his finger withdrawing and plunging deep again. She held her panties aside as he fucked her with his fingers, intently increasing her pleasure and stretching her with each added digit.

  Her hands were suddenly pushed away as the lace of her panties tore and his mouth was on her, kissing, licking, and nibbling as his fingers continued to probe. Arching into him, she cried out as he teased her clit and her sex pulsed. “Yes!”

  The scrape of his jaw dragged over her tender flesh as he bit her thigh. He drove two long fingers deep, hooking them at the perfect angle as his mouth closed over her clit.

  Her toes curled as every muscle in her legs tightened and her back bowed against the bed. “Asher!”

  Relentlessly, he sucked and teased until she could take no more and her control snapped. Her body pulsed and trembled irrepressibly as she came hard against his mouth, crying out his name. He didn’t stop at one. On and on he went, plying one orgasm after another until she was wrung out and breathless, all thoughts drifting someplace sweet and peaceful.

  Heat surrounded her as he climbed up her body and pulled her to him. Her curves fit against his sculpted form, molding perfectly into every crevice. He softly kissed across her lips and she tasted their blended arousal.

  “Scarlet?”

  “Hmm?” she pliantly stretched, beneath him.

  “Are you ready?”

  “Mmm-hhm.” Words were too difficult.

  The heat of his belly burned hers as wide hips fit between her thighs. Her tender folds parted under the direction of his gentle fingers and suddenly thick heat was filling her. Her eyes gradually opened to find him watching her. This was what she’d waited for.

  “Tell me if I hurt you.”

  Using her minimal strength, she grinned and cupped a hand against his jaw. “You won’t.”

  His pelvis pressed to hers, as he slowly he drew back and then filled her. Together they gasped. “We might have flaws, but this is perfect,” he whispered, gently pumping into her as he stared into her eyes.

  “Yes,” she breathed in full agreement. This was perfect.

  While there had been others, tonight was the first time either of them had made love. It went beyond sex and it was more intense than the most passionate fucking. It was intimate, a connection dependent on more than physical contact. Through every glance she felt more and more connected to his soul.

  All of her life she’d felt invisible and then this man had come along and took away her sight. One by one, her flaws drifted away and all the pressure dissipated. By making her blind he’d helped her see who she truly was.

  They’d fallen in love with nary a kiss between them. Seeing was easy. They saw every shortcoming they had, but it took each other to truly understand those inadequacies did not define who they were as a whole. Hearing the truth took effort, but together they found the courage to finally listen to reason. Fear could make a person blind to many things, but love left nowhere to hide.

  Love exposed all.

  Asher didn’t love her as a child. He was merely infatuated with a girl he didn’t know beyond what his mind wanted to see. But now, as he held her and filled her under nothing but the flickering flames of the firelight, she showed him all of her, and he saw her flaws, her strengths, and even her deepest insecurities, just as she saw his too. There was truth to love, a truth which neither of them could deny.

  She didn’t want the fantasy, nor did he want the unattainable version of perfect he’d imagined. What they wanted was exactly what they got, something undeniably real, sewn from honest confessions and genuine promises to always do their best to love and protect the other.

  That evening, Scarlet spent the night in a man’s arms, as they whispered in the dark and confessed their deepest desires. It was incredible to know he’d be there, not just tonight, but tomorrow and the day after that, slowly unveiling the secrets inside their souls that they couldn’t see on their own. The future was very bright indeed.

  Epilogue

  “She was amaz
ed to discover that when he was saying 'As you wish',

  what he meant was, 'I love you.'”

  ~Grandfather

  The Princess Bride

  As it turned out, fantasy was underrated and living with a guy like Asher Roan drove that point home—and by home, she of course meant their kickass castle. Teacher by day, sex goddess by night, her life had become something incredibly close to a work of fiction. But it was real.

  Asher loved to play and every day with him was an adventure. His creativity was endless, his sense of humor perfectly dry like a good martini, but also potent. He could be called to any task and took every role seriously. It didn’t matter if they were gaming, working, or simply lounging around naked on a Sunday, he always was her knight in shining amour, her hero at the ready.

  It turned out they had much more in common than either of them assumed. She was a closeted nerd and he was her perfect counterpart. When they realized how much they enjoyed the same things, they truly hit a euphoric point and let their geek flags fly.

  Their wedding, of course, was Star Wars themed, being that the movie scores were unarguably the best. Their groomsmen, or troopers as Asher liked to refer to them, were wonderful. Elliot and Hunter got to know her adult side and forgot the child. Jet was a sweetheart she never stopped appreciating.

  Mr. Pennyworth—or Steve, as she’d come to know him—was a welcome return to their lives and someone she would always share a special connection with. She adored the way he looked up to Asher and hoped one day her husband realized that the friends he admired so, loved him with a loyalty that could outlast time.

  But still, there were limits to what she could tolerate. For instance their son, who was due to arrive in three months, would not be named Gandalf, Mulder, or Flash, but Anakin was not out of the question.

  It was amazing, the sort of man her husband became as his confidence grew. It boggled her mind that he had insecurities at all. To her, he was remarkable.

  The more he realized she was pretty much shockproof the more interesting their life became. The amount of fantasy play was endless and sometimes the blindfold even went on him. Asher loved roleplaying and she loved seeing how many ways he could be her hero.

  Escapism was something they all practiced, whether consciously or otherwise. There was simply something beguiling about being someone else for a time, it was liberating to test fantasies they otherwise wouldn’t dare to admit.

  It wasn’t clear who possessed the more capricious side, her with her need to be rescued again and again by a dominant knight, or him with his call to duty and honor—that deep seated need to prove himself time and time again. Either way, their life never stopped being engaging and their desire never seemed to wane.

  Scarlet was deeply in love with a man who was dedicated, loyal, and affectionate beyond the norm. Their hearts were indeed scarred, but all those imperfections made the beautiful moments of love and security extraordinary, and they never overlooked how lucky they were to find each other again. It was as if their destiny had been written in the stars.

  As she waited on the grass before a table set with homemade bread, two apples, a dagger, and a bottle of cider wine, she turned the last page of William Goldman’s classic, The Princess Bride. It was one of her favorite tales of true love and there was nothing quite as magical as reading a first edition copy from Asher’s impressive collection.

  His affinity for the obscure and impossibly rare enchanted her. There was nothing Asher viewed as impossible. If he wanted something, he did everything in his power to acquire it, which was exactly how he’d captured her heart.

  She sighed as she read the words The End, wishing the story could continue just a bit more. Her hand rolled over her distended belly disguised in the crimson gown. Asher had started quite a collection of costumes for female characters and she adored that any ordinary Tuesday could end with an evening in a far off land. Their love extended through space and time, a continuum that stretched to any fantasy and broached many mysterious circumstances.

  The back door opened and she smiled as he appeared, sleekly dressed in black. He was so beautiful, so playful and fun. Jogging slowly down the stairs, his sword catching a glimmer of fading sun and flashing in the distance as he approached with a smile.

  He appraised her gown and the picnic she’d prepared, his mouth hooking in a little smirk. “Is it Princess Buttercup then, about to be absconded by the Dread Pirate Roberts?”

  She grinned, loving that he could not only identify the setting, but the exact moment of the plot. She slid the book to the grass. “It is, but I won’t go easily,” she threatened. “Not after you killed my Westley.”

  He adjusted the black mask he wore and smirked, that adorable dimple of his winking as he holstered his sword. “As you wish.”

  God, she loved him. Lowering her blindfold the world went dark and her hero rescued her once more.

  THE END

  About the Author

  Lydia Michaels is the bestselling author of over 20 contemporary romance novels. Her Surrender Trilogy has been featured on iBook’s Erotic Bestseller List. Her work has also been featured in USA Today and nominated for several prestigious awards.

  Lydia loves taking a romantic plot with steamy chemistry and pushing the characters through an evolution of emotion by creating real life challenges any hero or heroine worth their salt could overcome. She presses the bounds of love and surprises readers just when they think they have her stories figured out. Her books are intellectual, erotic, haunting, always centered on love.

  She loves hearing from readers!

  Find Lydia Michaels

  www.Facebook.com/LydiaMichaels

  Twitter @Lydia_Michaels

  Email: Lydia@LydiaMichaelsBooks.com

  www.LydiaMichaelsBooks.com

  Also by Lydia Michaels

  Breaking Perfect

  Simple Man

  Sacred Waters

  Skin

  Chaste

  Faking It

  Forsaking Truth

  As Tears Go By

  Hold Me Fast

  Called to Order

  Calling for a Miracle

  Destiny Calls

  Call Her Mine

  First Comes Love

  If I Fall

  Something Borrowed

  Remember Me

  Blind

  La Vie en Rose

  Falling In

  Breaking Out

  Coming Home