by Jayne Rylon
“Uh huh.” More explanation didn’t seem necessary.
“Still feeling adventurous?” He grinned at her.
“Uh huh.” They both laughed at her automatic reply. It was true.
“Good. Then I hope you don’t mind this.” Clearly he had the upper hand, not having his brain fogged by euphoria. The purpose of the lightning-fast move he made didn’t register at first. Not until she realized she couldn’t move her hands to pet his ripped chest and abdomen, which hovered in front of her face. By then he’d finished securing her wrists with the length of silk he’d worn around his neck not too long ago.
Linley had never been bound before, but the thrill of knowing she relied on him to guide their exchange had a trickle of arousal spilling down her thigh.
“You like that?” He smiled gently as he rubbed his thumb over her cheek.
“Uh huh.” She winked.
“Brat.” Chase reached over her once more to grab a condom from his pants. He tore the foil open carefully then rolled the thin latex over his hard-on in a flash. “We’ll have to see what we can do about that. You seemed to like my hand on your ass. It’s nice and pink. Begging for more.”
He would know since he’d reset her on her knees, supporting her with an arm around her waist as he parked himself between her thighs. “I’m done waiting, Linley. I’m patient, but I’m not a saint. This is what you want too, yes?”
“Yes!” She shouted when he nudged her pussy with the tip of his cock.
And that was all the encouragement it took.
Chase penetrated her, gliding slowly and smoothly until he lodged within her. Then he worked his erection through her rings of muscle, tunneling a bit deeper with every pass. It seemed he’d grown since she’d spotted him last. The stretch of her pussy burned slightly. Only for a minute.
When he settled into his rhythm, she was sure it was her pace too. Never before had sex felt so perfect. In a matter of minutes, he had stoked her desire to inferno levels once more. She rested on her bound wrists, the tug of the tie only enhancing each of his lunges forward.
And when he smacked her ass in between two deep strokes within her, she knew she would come embarrassingly fast. Again.
“Don’t wait on my account.” He breathed hard between each word. “I’m with you, Linley. Any time. Every time, I hope.”
The sweet promise…of more…collected all the glimmers of pleasure he gifted her with into one ball of bliss. Light touches on her shoulders and ass turned into something better when he dropped forward, blanketing her back as his pelvis slapped into her thighs. He reached around, one hand toying with her breasts while the other strummed her clit.
Unraveling in his arms, she was grateful for his embrace and the bindings holding her together through the monumental outpouring of their shared pleasure.
“Linley!” He grunted her name over and over as he emptied himself within her, each jerk of his hips timed to one of the answering wrings of her pussy around him. They came with wild abandon, similar to everything they’d done that night and hopefully would do many times more.
As the clenching of her pussy faded, she tried to dismiss the similar pump of another muscle, one much higher…in her chest.
To find out what happened next click here or search for 5A - Chase Epilogue.
2B - Linley Picked Ryder
To his credit, Ryder didn’t gloat. The wide span of his smile made his slightly crooked front teeth visible. The imperfection endeared him to her. Whatever this man had achieved in his life, he’d blazed the path to success himself.
The part of her that had clawed its way to the top recognized its counterpart in him.
He draped his arm around her waist and tugged her against his side. Heat poured off his rock-solid torso, infusing her with warmth. Thank God the table prevented her from climbing into his lap right then and there.
That would have been embarrassing. Especially given the resigned shake of his head that Chase surrendered when he detected her instant capitulation to Ryder’s allure.
“Sorry,” she murmured. Neither of them deserved rejection. In five minutes they’d turned her on more than a year of pointless dates. “It wasn’t any easy decision.”
“Not a big surprise. Everyone loves to go wild their first time out of the gate.” Chase smiled at her, sincere in his encouragement. “I don’t blame you in the least. Don’t be afraid. Ryder will take good care of you, even if he is an ass. And when you’ve got the initial rowdiness out of your system, you know where to find me.”
“Don’t hold your breath.” Ryder chuckled. “It was good seeing you again.”
“You too.” Chase reached across the table to shake Ryder’s outstretched hand. “We should grab a game again sometime soon.”
“Definitely. Let me know when you’re free and we’ll see what we can do.” The guys put her at ease with their sportsmanship. Underground clearly excelled at weeding would-be jackasses from their roster with extreme prejudice.
“It was lovely to meet you.” Chase leaned across the small table and dusted a kiss over her temple before slipping from the booth.
“Same goes.” She smiled as he sauntered away. Before he’d even crossed to the wide doors on the other side of the space, a leggy blonde had approached and fawned at his side.
“No worries. That bastard will have plenty to distract him from his loss tonight.” Ryder rolled his eyes, belying his tough-guy act. “The instant he sits at the piano in the library with a tumbler of the expensive whiskey he prefers, women fall all over him.”
“Jealous?” She wondered.
“Hell no.” He snorted. “I’ve got the sexiest lady here tonight. A new recruit at that. You know what they say… You never forget your first. It’s considered a big honor to escort a newbie. So thank you.”
Linley bit her lip. A little worried, she’d rather skip to the meat of the matter than dance around what she’d signed herself up for. If she waited too long, she might bail. “You’re welcome. But would you mind if we don’t chitchat too much before we get started?”
“Nothing to be nervous about, wildcat.” Ryder turned her face toward him until she couldn’t avoid his stare. “I’ve got you. I meant what I said before. I won’t let you bite off too much. I may not be the smartest guy in the world, but I know this. If you’re scared or not turned on, I’ll pull us back to somewhere safer. Softer. Promise.”
She nodded.
“But something tells me you’re going to be pacing me, or maybe even keeping me on my toes. I’ll be racing behind you once you really get started.” He growled as if he could sense the fire lighting inside her.
The clash of their lips inspired her to take more. With Ryder, she didn’t have to worry about propriety or being subtle. He granted her freedom from the restrictions of her daily life and all the bureaucratic bullshit she had to endure. No one had warned her about those trappings when she’d been in business school. Thank God or she might never have kept going.
Spearing her hands in his unruly hair, she dug deeper.
“That’s right. You can get as dirty as you want with me.” He nipped her bottom lip. “I’ll only like it more.”
Their tongues met and sparred. Champagne combined with something suspiciously like chocolate, making her moan at the taste. When they broke, she arched a brow at him. “You have a sweet tooth?”
“I’m here with you, aren’t I?” He grinned when she slugged his shoulder. “But yes, if you must know, dark chocolate—preferably Belgian—is one of my many vices.”
“Show me some others?” She nudged him toward the mouth of the booth.
“Of course.” He scooped her from the bench seat and twirled her around enough to make her worried she flashed her black lace thong at some of the other guests, who smiled at the spectacle they made.
They marched down the hall, not pausing to investigate the inviting spaces of Underground. Linley did find herself distracted by the menagerie filling the black and white ballroom they s
kipped through, causing them to slow.
Her hand tugged on Ryder’s where they were linked.
“Maybe after the edge is off, you’ll dance with me?” He whirled her in circles and ground their pelvises together to the beat of The Wanted’s “Glad You Came.” He sambaed her in reverse through the crowd, displaying just a hint of his prowess on the floor.
Though she loved to dance, she didn’t often get to indulge outside the privacy of her own master suite as she got dressed for the day ahead or unwound after the day behind. Sedate corporate gatherings didn’t count.
“That sounds amazing.” She couldn’t help but notice the hardness he pressed against her belly. “Maybe while you’re recovering.”
“I like the way you think, Linley.” Her name sounded dark and a little dirty when he said it like that.
“Though it’ll probably be just before dawn by the time I need more than a few minutes to get ready for another round with you.” He leaned forward and bit her neck gently. “You do things to me.”
“Good things, I hope.” She laughed.
“Very.” He pouted just a bit. “Can’t you tell?”
“I assumed you’re a rake with all the women you meet here.” She dug her fingers into his pecs, loving the resistance of his toned muscles.
“True, true.” His smile grew. “But usually I have a tiny bit more self-control. If it weren’t against the rules, I’d probably already be fucking you right here on this floor.”
“There are restrictions?” Suddenly she felt as if she were running full tilt in the dark. What did she know about where they were going or how to behave?
“Even paradise has rules, sadly.” Ryder explained. “No sex in the main Underground. If being watched is your fantasy, that can be arranged easily. Right over there is the entrance to Downstairs. And if you make it through that decadent potluck without being distracted, there’s plenty more to sample in the Basement.”
Linley peeked over her shoulder. As much as she enjoyed being pressed to him on the dance floor, she knew there were far better places for them to be intimate. Besides, she wanted him naked so she could feel his skin against hers from head to toe.
“I don’t want to wait anymore.” A few steps later, he’d caught up to her, matching her determined strides.
“Been craving this for a while, huh?” He slung his arm around her shoulder and steadied her as they began to descend in unison.
“You have no idea.” She sighed.
“You might be surprised,” he murmured.
So unlike him, the tentative rebuttal had her pausing on the landing halfway down the grand staircase. “Seriously?”
“Yeah.” He glanced away then back. “Sometimes circumstances in real life make it difficult to be who you really are inside. At least not without the fear of repercussions for you. Or your family.”
The flex of his Adam’s apple intrigued her almost as much as his cryptic comment. Secrets stayed private here, no matter how close she came to begging him for more details. After all, she knew the same was true for herself. If the media ever caught wind of this little foray into darkness, her image would be ruined and her company with it.
Scandal seemed to work for building the demand for celebrities. Not so much for CEOs.
“Hey.” She laid her hand lightly on his broad shoulder. “I understand. I’m sorry you’ve had to put up with that crap.”
His fingers blanketed hers and squeezed. When he spun around, his rogue’s smirk had recovered. “So, what do you think of our lovely mural?”
It wasn’t until he turned his palms upward that she took in the details of the warm colors swirling around them. Focused on the curtain at the bottom and the hints of flesh she glimpsed beyond, she’d missed the subject matter entirely.
“Wow.” Her eyes bugged out a little as she monitored the saturnalia strewn about. “Some of these are pretty creative.”
Ryder laughed again, the raucous sound playing with her insides, making them flip. She scanned the oil paintings of couples engaged in foreplay and sex of all flavors. The skill with which they’d been rendered ensured they were as gorgeous as they were raunchy.
The true art highlighted to her the fact that all the acts were natural. Fresh and honest expressions of one of life’s greatest pleasures.
“Everything you see here is an option Downstairs.” Ryder erased some of the space between them.
“Even that?” She pointed to a crowd of the pretty people gathered around a woman on her hands and knees. A man took her from behind. It might have been a trick of the light, but it appeared he really did take her behind.
Ryder choked on his sarcasm. “I’d be willing to sacrifice for you, wildcat. Sure.”
Her eyes went wide. Embarrassed to admit she’d considered the possibility, she blushed because the thought didn’t completely repulse her. “Does it feel good?”
“If I do it right.” His shoulders broadened as his chest puffed up. “I’ve been told I’m not a slouch at pleasing my women. I can be smooth when it’s called for.”
A woman passing by stumbled then turned toward them. “Honey, you have no idea how good you’ve got it tonight. He’s being ridiculously modest.”
“Don’t rat me out, Eva.” Ryder cleared his throat.
“Trust me.” The woman pointed at Linley’s guy for the evening. “He’s never lonely around here. Enough said. Enjoy.”
“I will.” Linley nodded at the retreating guest.
He whistled innocently, as if he hadn’t overheard the entire exchange.
“Quite a reputation, sir.” She pinched his arm to get his attention.
“Careful, wildcat.” He growled against her neck from where he’d swallowed her in his embrace. “Power exchanges with a little sensual pain tossed in are one of my favorite ways to play.”
The solid erection he sported proved his promise. Steely and thick, he made her long to cut to the chase. “Show me the rest.”
“Greedy.” He stole another drugging kiss before smiling against her lips. “I approve.”
“Thanks,” she muttered.
“But you’re not quite ready—”
“I am!” The assertion escaped before she could stop it.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” His voice turned gravelly. “I was referring to your clothes, though. Once we pass the curtain, there’s a dress code. Or maybe an undress code is a better term.”
“Oh.” Again she’d flashed her naiveté.
“I get the sense you didn’t head out with this in mind. So you have some options. You can leave your dress and shoes at the coat check if you like your underwear well enough. Or you can strut around naked, which I highly recommend.” The selfish smirk reemerged. “If neither of those options appeal, there are some branded items you can take from the lockers in the corner over there. You would make a hell of an advertisement for anything sexy, this place especially.”
“I’ll stick with my own lingerie, thanks.” She refused to think about it as parading around in her underwear. Thank God she’d worn something hot. Just in case…
They continued until they were beside the storage area. An attendant nodded to Ryder, who didn’t hesitate to strip his fitted black T-shirt over his head. She was almost too entranced by the landscape of his pecs and defined abs to notice when he shucked his shoes and socks.
Leather whipped through the loops on his jeans when he removed his belt. With it curled over his knuckles, he made her knees weak. But it was when he unzipped the denim and revealed his bare hard-on that she nearly had a heart attack.
“Close your mouth or I’ll give you something to suck on.” His smile softened the command, though part of her imagined he wasn’t entirely joking.
“You’re…” She licked her lips. “Whoa.”
There went that laugh again. Rich and boisterous. It ensnared her heart a bit more every time she brought it out of him.
“Thanks.” He brushed the pad of his thumb across her dampened mouth. “You
r turn.”
Linley’s fingers fumbled at her hem. Could she do this? No one else seemed particularly disturbed by the gorgeous, very naked man in their ranks. What would it matter if there was an almost-nude woman joining him?
Other than the fact that she’d never been so bold.
Sure, she’d had lovers. Not many, and none she’d stripped for outside the dim light of their bedroom. Plus, that had been years ago. In her college days. Before she’d gotten rusty and the stakes had climbed so high.
She needed to find that old sense of adventure and have some fun.
“Do I need to help you?” He clasped the edge of her dress in his strong hands and walked it up her thighs. He hummed when the tiny triangle of lace covering her waxed mound came into view. “Very pretty, Linley. I can see your wetness decorating them from here.”
She whipped her gaze to the attendant, who feigned disinterest as he stared across the lobby.
“Show me your tits.” Ryder took her hand in his and lifted it to where he’d gotten her started. The stroke of his fingers over his erect shaft emboldened her. He certainly liked what he saw so far. There was no lying about that.
Like ripping off a hangnail, she opted for quick. No way to take it back when she whipped her dress over her head and thrust it at the suddenly ready attendant. Bored her ass.
“Damn, you’re gorgeous.” The scorching laser of Ryder’s gaze swept her from head to toe then made a return journey.
“No, I’m horny.” She practically panted. “Don’t make me wait much longer. Please.”
She might have imagined the attendant’s muttered, “Jesus.” She didn’t think so, though.
“Come.” Ryder snagged her hand and led her toward the curtain. “You’re killing me.”
“Me?” She concentrated on evening her respiration. “You’re the one strutting around like a sex god.”
The smile that spread slowly across his face rewarded her plenty for her honesty.
“Thank you, Linley. Let’s make this tour fast so you can pick your pleasure.”
“I’m fairly sure that as long as I’m with you, tonight is going to be unforgettable.” She lifted their joined hands and kissed his knuckles.
