by Brooks, Abby
Juliet cried out. “Yes! That’s good. Please, Ian. More of that.” Her breath heaved in her lungs and she writhed against her bonds. He slid a finger between her folds, angling it so that it just dipped inside her while keeping pressure on her clit.
“Oh, look how wet you are. You do like this.”
The tip of his finger wasn’t nearly enough. She needed it inside her and she needed it now. She bucked her hips forward, lifted them off the bed. “Please, Ian. I need…” Juliet’s words trailed off when Ian plunged his finger deep inside, replaced by gasps for breath as he withdrew.
“We may be equals, Juliet, but you have to remember, I’m in control. I’ll be inside you when I decide, no sooner.” He placed his hands on her still shaking shoulders. “And now I have to punish you…naughty girl. Flip over.”
“What are you going to do?” She met his eyes, desperate to see that he wasn’t angry, that this was all just part of their game, and relief flooded her when she found what she needed.
“Well, my angel, remember your spanking the first night we were together? You’ve earned yourself another one of those for being such a bad girl.” Ian’s tone was commanding, but his eyes were kind and locked on hers, searching for even the smallest sign of fear.
She remembered what he’d said. That she’d just have to say the word and he’d stop. Juliet’s heart thundered in her chest and her stomach did a nervous dance, but she did as she was told. Maybe it was the alcohol, but more than that was the fact that she trusted Ian to keep her safe. While she was on her stomach, he slid her panties off and tossed them on the floor. Ran his hands over her bare bottom and spread her legs, dipping his fingers into her again. First one, then two.
“When I decide,” he whispered, and her inner muscles clenched around his fingers. When he pulled his hand away, Juliet groaned in disappointment. Gripping her hips, he helped her onto her knees while leaving her head half buried in the pillow. There she was—his dedicated plaything—with her hands tied above her head, her face turned to the side, and her ass in the air. It made her feel vulnerable and exposed, but it meant she could see him. He slowly undid the buttons at his wrists. Untucked his shirt tails and unbuttoned his shirt, his eyes fixated on her hips.
With his shirt open, Ian rolled up his sleeves and kneeled beside Juliet. He spanked her once. Not hard enough to hurt, just enough to make a sound. He caressed away the sting before he spanked her again. Then he plunged his fingers inside her, moving them in and out, stroking her walls and damned if he didn’t find that spot again. The spot only he knew how to find. Her ass stung, but it mingled deliciously with her pleasure.
“You like that, don’t you?”
“Yes,” she gasped.
He pulled his hand back and slapped her ass again. Once. Twice. It felt so good. She never thought it could feel that way. When his fingers were inside her again, he used his other hand to slowly circle her clit. Every time she felt a climax building, he withdrew and spanked her again. The orgasm Ian engineered already had her quivering…and he hadn’t let her succumb, yet.
He brought his hand down again, once, twice—not hard, but hard enough—and she waited in anticipation for his fingers. She needed his fingers. And when they entered her, she came with a scream, harder than she ever had. Her muscles clenching as he kept finding that spot inside her.
The bed shifted and Ian stood. She moaned again, feeling a trail of moisture work its way down her inner thigh.
“You’re dripping, my angel. I like it.”
Juliet sagged on the bed and panted, trying to catch her breath. “You make me come so hard. I’ve never had orgasms like this before.”
“I like that, too.” Ian ran a finger between her folds and Juliet cried out again. “Now you be a good girl for me and stay just like that. I’ll be right back.”
What? He was going to leave her? Legs quivering and body trembling? Helpless and tied to his bed?
Ian swept from the room and she listened for him, heard the clink of ice on glass and the sound of him rummaging through a drawer. It wasn’t long before he returned, carrying a bowl of something in one hand and a bandana in the other.
“Now there’s a view I could get used to.” He set the bowl on the nightstand. “Flip over, beautiful, let me see you.”
Juliet did as she was told, and Ian revealed the contents of the bowl. Ice. He put a piece in his mouth and sucked, then bent over her and trailed it around her hard nipples with his mouth, little bits of water snaking down her sides. He played until the first piece melted and she was gasping again, goose bumps standing on her flesh, water pooling in her belly button. Her sex throbbed with heat and moisture.
Ian took another piece of ice from the bowl and held it in his mouth as he scooted down the bed and parted her legs. Juliet lifted her head and watched as he drew his frozen tongue across her clit. Her hips bucked off the bed and she dropped her head back to the pillow.
Ian waited patiently for Juliet to settle, then held the ice against her, circling that small ball of pleasure before pulling it away to replace it with his mouth. The change from cold to hot was more than she could handle. She cried out again, writhing beneath him. As he sucked and licked, he put the ice inside her opening, only to pull it out and replace it with his tongue. She was nothing but sensation, nothing but need.
“Ian, I’m gonna come again!” she called as her release closed in.
“Do it. Come for me, Juliet,” he said, and she did just that.
When her breathing slowed, Ian stood and shrugged out of his shirt, undid his pants and stepped out of them. Her eyes went straight to his cock, straining toward her, his gaze filled with lust.
He didn’t speak.
He spread her thighs with his knees and pressed his tip against her opening.
She threw her head back and he groaned, sliding himself inside her until his hips met hers. She lost herself in his movement, pulling on her bonds and calling his name, his body rocking and rolling, gaining speed as his own climax drew close.
“Look at me,” he growled, and she did, her teeth clenched and her eyes locked on his while he came with a low groan, bringing her right along with him.
Finally, Ian collapsed on top of her and she was surrounded by him, filled by him. His scent in her nose, her name on his lips, completely and utterly consumed by the amazing Ian Moore.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Juliet
Juliet groaned when she opened her eyes to a piercingly bright day, the sun streaking through Ian’s curtainless windows and stabbing into her poor, hungover mind. The weight of Ian’s head lay heavy on her chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her close even in his sleep. She kissed his hair and breathed him in, closing her eyes and damning the wine. Waking up next to him was a gift, hungover or not.
The night before had been everything she ever wanted. Everything she ever needed. Including things she’d never even thought of before.
Ian took control without being demeaning.
Pushed her boundaries and played with pain but did it in ways that brought her pleasure.
And he made sure she came—more than once. Lying there, she thought back on their night together and smiled as she puzzled through how her last orgasm started when he entered her but didn’t end until the first hints of sunrise shone over the water.
Ian was a man who didn’t take control, but was in control. A man who operated from a place of confidence instead of some injured psyche demanding to be obeyed above all things. A man she could fall in love with. A man she already was in love with. She swallowed hard and kissed him.
“Do it again.” Sleep slurred his voice.
“Do what again?”
“Kiss my head. It hurts. Red wine never has my best interest at heart.” Ian shifted and rolled onto his back, leaving Julz missing the contact of his skin on hers.
“You too, huh?” She draped an arm over her face. “As much as I appreciate the whole waking up with the windows open to the sea
thing, I think the sun wants to kill me.”
Ian slid his feet off the side of the bed and sat up facing the window. He stretched while Juliet watched the muscles in his back flex and ripple, then stood, giving her an unobstructed view of his backside.
“Body of an Adonis,” she said and pushed herself into a sitting position, clutching the sheet to her chest.
Ian turned his head, putting his face in profile over his shoulder, then flexed his arms like a bodybuilder, and grit his teeth. “Ouch,” he said with a grimace. “I was gonna make a joke, but I think I just angered the red wine again.”
“Goodness, don’t do that. It’s angry enough already.”
Ian padded around the front of the bed toward his closet, pausing when he saw her. “No, no, no. That won’t do. You can’t keep a body like that covered up. Drop that sheet, now.”
Juliet giggled and let the sheet fall, exposing her breasts. “Ohhh,” she groaned. “Don’t make me laugh. It’s bad. It’s really, really bad.”
“All right then, this calls for hangover food. Get dressed. We’re going to Good Beginnings.” Ian disappeared into his closet and reemerged with clothes in his hand.
“I can’t. I have to go let Lulu out.”
Ian’s chin dropped. “Fucking Lulu.”
She slid out of bed and began gathering her clothes off the floor. “I thought you liked Lulu because she brought us together.”
“Yeah, well, right now she’s keeping us apart.” Ian pulled on a pair of boxer briefs and jeans. “How about this. We’ll stop at your house and let Lulu out, that way you have the opportunity to change, too”—Ian wagged his finger —“because my sexy little angel won’t be doing the walk of shame, wandering around town in last night’s clothes. Then, when you’re ready, I’ll take you to Good Beginnings and we’ll stuff our faces with whatever the hell we feel like.”
Juliet had to admit, the plan was a good one. She wasn’t interested in anything that took her away from Ian.
To say the least, Lulu was relieved by the sight of them walking through the door. Her little tail wagged so hard, her entire body jumped and wiggled. Juliet hurried upstairs to get dressed while Ian tended to the dog. It was only half an hour later that they found themselves seated in Ellie Charles’ cafe, coffee steaming in front of them, as they anxiously waited for their food.
“Rough night?” Ellie asked with a quirk of her eyebrows when she arrived with a large tray supporting the odd array of items they’d ordered.
“Oh, no. Rough morning.” Ian hefted a plate laden with pancakes in front of him. “The night was wonderful.”
Juliet giggled and bit her lip, then met Ellie’s eyes with a sweet smile and nodded her agreement. “You’ll get no complaints from me.”
“Too much info, you two. Too much.” Ellie held up a hand and turned away, laughing gently to herself on her way back to the counter.
Juliet made quick work of breakfast, finishing a plate of pancakes, some bacon, and a biscuit, and drinking both an orange juice and a Coke in between sips of coffee. Ellie made several trips back, wielding a pot of caffeinated goodness like a trained hangover nurse and carrying away empty plates.
“Was there anything about last night you didn’t like?” Ian asked, picking at a piece of buttered toast. “Anything you think fear or wine talked you into doing that you don’t want to do again?”
Julz thought back through the night, taking the time to really process his question. The muscles deep in her belly flared to life and clenched, and damn if she didn’t feel completely turned on all over again. “Nope,” she said with certainty. “Not one thing.”
Ian’s broad smile brought out one of her own. “That’s what I like to hear. You think we hit your limit? Or could we play some more?”
“Oh, I’m sure we could do some more exploring. You don’t scare me. I feel safe with you.”
“You should. I’d never do anything to hurt you.” Ian leaned forward. “That you didn’t like, that is.”
She hid her blush behind a long drink of coffee, the caffeine waging a successful war against the pain in her head. “I’m so full.” She sat back in the booth, careful to keep the coffee in her hands. “But I’m not queasy anymore, so I’m not complaining.”
Ian cleared his throat and a serious expression fell across his face. “So, I was thinking,” he began.
Juliet instantly felt queasy again, the change in him lighting fire to her nerves.
“If Peter broke the terms of your agreement, then he’s in breach of contract. I know you’re afraid he’s gonna try and find you or something, but I don't think you need to worry. He's probably thrilled you disappeared because you’re the one holding all the cards.”
Juliet shrugged. “Maybe. But I’m in breach of contract, too. I told both you and my friend Willow about what was going on. That’s a pretty direct violation of the non-disclosure agreement. And I’m less and less sure he’s gonna want to find me. I think I’m just another notch on the belt, you know? Another name on a dotted line. But…I really don’t want to tempt fate. Tech Lord still owes me my final paycheck, and I sure would like to get it. I just can’t bring myself to reach out in case he swoops down on me and ruins all this.” Juliet gestured to Ian and then the small strip of downtown Bliss visible through the window.
“If he owes you money, there’s no reason not to reach out and get it.”
“But what if he gets mad and starts accusing me of stuff? What if he, I don’t know, sues me? What if he goes after Willow, or you, because you know the truth about what he likes? What if…” She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, afraid to speak the fear that hung so heavily on her.
“Do you really think any of that will happen?”
“I don't know. Not really…? But Ian, I’m really afraid of him. He’s got a lot of money, and a lot of power, a whole team of lawyers, and I’m in a pretty good spot to understand that he’s not exactly working with a full batch of cookies.”
“Cookies, huh?” Ian asked with a wry smile. “That’s what you’re going with?”
“You better believe it.”
He sat back and turned his attention out the window while Juliet replayed all the fear she had surrounding Peter. It’d been, what…? A couple months since she’d left. Surely, seeing as Peter really did have all the money and power and technology he could ever need right at his greedy fingertips, he would have found her already, if he really wanted to. His continued silence spoke volumes.
Maybe she really was okay.
Maybe her past would stay where it was.
“I think you should ask for your paycheck,” Ian said breaking the silence.
All the reassurance Juliet had been feeling dissipated. “It’s not worth it.”
“I think it is. Sure, he’s rich and powerful and has a team of lawyers, but that might not exactly work in his favor. Money, power, and lawyers? The Moore family has those things, too, and you know what? If my lawyer talks to his lawyer, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Mr. Vox walked away terrified.”
Juliet laughed out loud. “I know I’ve never met your lawyer, but I doubt Peter would walk away terrified from anything.”
Ian smiled and leaned over the table. “Even of the restraining order and court case which would be sure to follow any attempt he made to contact you—other than sending you the money you’re owed? I can’t begin to imagine the press coverage. Especially considering how much he loves to have his face in all those commercials. You know, high profile CEOs tend to shy away from sex scandals that make them out as selfish, abusive assholes. I imagine it couldn’t be good for the stock price.”
Juliet didn’t know what to say. Ian was making a hell of a lot of sense. Maybe she’d been safe this whole time, because of the very nature of the relationship she’d run from. She grinned, unable to keep a straight face if she tried. “You are so right.”
“Of course I’m right. That’s what I do.”
“He’s not gonna want me anywher
e near a courthouse, or a microphone, or a news crew. Even if his mighty team of lawyers came slamming down on my head, the damage would be done to him the moment I opened my mouth.”
“And if his lawyers even looked at your sweet little head the wrong way, my lawyers would be all over their asses.” Ian leaned forward and took her hands in his. “And you better believe if he ever tried to hurt you, he'd have to get through me first.”
Juliet beamed. For the first time she could think about Peter without feeling like she was at his mercy. Like he could destroy her on a whim.
Hell no.
No more.
With Ian at her side, she could finally see that she was the one in control. Peter was in the palm of her hand. At her mercy. Not the other way around.
“Can I take that shit-eating grin as a sign that you’re gonna go after your last paycheck?”
“Hell yeah, I am. I’ll contact human resources at Tech Lord as soon as I get home.”
Ian sat back. “How about this. Don’t contact them.”
Juliet frowned. Didn't he just talk her into calling about the money they owed her? How could she do that without making contact? “What do you mean?”
“I want you to let me get my lawyers involved. That way he knows not to even think about coming after you.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“You bet your sweet ass I’d do that for you.”
Juliet’s smile returned again as she nodded, laughing in disbelief. How had she gotten so lucky? She’d chosen Bliss on a whim and it turned out to be the best decision she’d ever made in all her life.
All the years before Ian were cold and gray and mechanical. Stressful and tense. Since moving to Bliss and meeting him, her world was filled with color and laughter.
Things were easy.
Right.
Like she’d walked right into the life she’d been destined to live.
Chapter Thirty-Three
