A Little Harmless Lie: Harmless, Book 4

by Melissa Schroeder

  “Do you need some help?” she asked.

  “Sure. Why don’t you start on the salad?”

  Dee took one more bite of the seared scallops and closed her eyes in appreciation. Damn if the man didn’t know how to cook. Granted, it wasn’t anything hard to do. A few scallops with garlic, pasta and roasted asparagus, but it had been so long since someone had cooked for her. The simple delight of having another person take time for her, make her a meal, it was a little too wonderful to ignore.

  She opened her eyes as she swallowed.

  “I take it you liked the scallops?”

  She offered him a smile. “Considering I’m trying to control myself enough not to lick the plate, I would say that is a yes.”

  He smiled as he sipped his water. She’d had one small glass of wine, but switched to water like Micah. She knew from experience that he didn’t drink much. She had never seen him get drunk, never heard of him losing control like that. Of course, he always seemed to be able to master his emotions. There was no way he would allow himself to drink too much. It should comfort her since her oldest brother had been well on his way to being a drunk when she’d run—and a mean drunk at that. But there was a tiny part of her that was afraid of a man like Micah. A man with that much self-restraint should make any woman scared.

  She smiled. “Odd that you seem to know some of my favorite foods.”

  He said nothing.

  “So, been spying on me?”

  He laughed as he stood and took both their plates. “No. Your friend Keisha was happy to help in my date plans.”

  She could feel a flush of heat fill her face. “Trying to win the pool.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” She watched him as he cut a generous portion of the cheesecake. He returned to the table and slid into the chair beside her with one plate and a seductive smile. She didn’t know which tempted her more, the man or the cake.

  “You’re not going to have any?” she asked.

  He nodded. “We’ll share.” He cut off a piece.

  And then his gaze followed the fork as he moved it to her lips. He didn’t mean to feed her, did he?

  “Open up.”

  Well, crap. Fear and arousal twisted through her. She didn’t want this. It was almost too…intimate. This was all about proving she wasn’t for him, but no matter what, he kept slinking past her defenses.

  She shook her head.

  “You want some, you better open up.”

  She frowned as butterflies fluttered in her tummy.

  “I told you, some things are better when someone does them for you.”

  The way his voice rolled over those words, she knew the meaning behind them. She would have to be an idiot not to understand. She wanted to refuse. Being fed by a man was…a little bit too much for her to take. He slid the fork along her bottom lip. The scent of the graham cracker crust and the sweetness of the cake filled her head. She raised her gaze to his. His attention was on her mouth.

  “Open up, baby. You won’t regret it.”

  Yearning for the cake, for the man in front of her, had her head spinning. Never in all her twenty-seven years had she wanted someone so much. He hadn’t really tried to seduce her, and she was ready to jump up on the table and offer her body to him. But she kept all this inside, locked away, because it was better that he never know what was going on in her head. A man like Micah Ross might be good, but he definitely would use it against her to get her into bed.

  “Dee.”

  Her name snapped out. Not loudly, not enough to scare her. But enough to let her know that he was not happy with her. She should take exception to his tone, the way it bit out from between his teeth. Instead, she found herself wanting to please him as her nipples hardened. She opened her mouth and he slipped the dreamy dessert between her lips. The sweetness exploded over her tongue. God, it had been a long time since she’d had good cheesecake. She could pay for the good stuff. She had the money to spend on air-shipped cheesecake. But she knew she would eat the whole damn cake by herself. She opened her eyes to find Micah watching her, his face flush, his gaze intent on her mouth. The air between them thickened. Everything in her tightened, her hormones dancing.

  She swallowed the bite. Before she could say anything, he had another bite for her. He held it in front of her mouth.

  “Aren’t you going to have any?”

  He shook his head, said nothing. She got the feeling he was holding on to an invisible thread of control. From watching her eat cheesecake?

  She wanted to refuse him, wanted to tell him one bite was enough. But…she couldn’t. As she opened her mouth, she gave in to the delightful treat. Damn, the airiness was just like New York, just the right amount of sugar, the crust substantial, but not overwhelming the cake itself.

  She had barely swallowed the second bite when he had another at her mouth. She took it this time without hesitation, closing her eyes and humming. The fork clattered on the plate. It was the only warning she got. She opened her eyes to find Micah reaching for her, pulling her out of her chair and onto his lap.

  He crashed his mouth down onto hers, his tongue sweeping in and taking immediate possession. Like every time he kissed her, it set off an explosion within her. She didn’t resist, couldn’t. As her head spun, she slipped her hands through the silky strands of his hair, and tried to move closer. Her breasts ached, her nipples painfully hard. She turned in his lap to press her chest against his, trying her best to gain some relief.

  He groaned and tightened his hold. The sound of it came from deep within him as if he were in pain. It touched something in her, had her heart beating so hard she was amazed she didn’t pass out.

  She slipped her tongue against his and his hands convulsed on her waist. Damn this felt good, right. Nothing had ever felt this right before. In all her times with men, before and after the incident, she had held herself back, made sure she didn’t lose her head. But this time, this one time, she didn’t want to stop. She wanted it to keep going—needed to feel his body on hers, in hers. She shifted in his lap and felt his erection. It should be a sign to run, to not get in deep with this man. But she wanted him. Wanted everything he could offer her, take from her. Nothing in her life had ever been so important. She wanted him. Now.

  He apparently knew what she was thinking and pulled back. Without a word, he lifted her in his arms as if she weighed nothing and carried her through his house. Her body was still humming with need, still begging for relief. She knew where he was going, and she should stop him. But the need he had built up wouldn’t allow her. She needed this more, seriously more than she’d wanted anything else in her life. That should scare her. It did a bit. As he turned down the hall that led to the back of the house, to his bedroom, her mind started doing somersaults.

  He paused at the doorway. She peeked up at him. He drew in a long, and what sounded painful, breath. Then he turned his head and his dark gaze clashed with hers.

  “Dee?”

  She knew what the question meant, what he asking. It was on the tip of her tongue to say no. It would be better if she just walked—ran—out of the house. But she saw the flush of arousal on his cheeks, recognized the lust in his eyes. For a man not used to denying himself, he was asking permission. And she knew what it meant if she said yes. He would be in control, the one calling the shots in bed.

  His jaw flexed. Just that little movement told her how much power she had over him. She had a feeling if she had been another woman, he could have easily seduced her into bed. But with her, a woman who had never really been with a man, he waited…gave her the choice.

  It wasn’t something big, nothing that would normally make another woman’s heart melt, but the fact that he would wait, that he would give her that choice and not try and roll over her, tightened her chest. Her life had been a myriad of choices made for her, situations that she couldn’t control, and although he planned on controlling their love making, he let her know with that one word, just her name, that it w
as her choice.

  She wanted to say so much, wanted to tell him just what it meant to her. She was sure he had no idea, but instead, she held the words inside her and allowed her lips to curve.

  “Yes.”

  Chapter Eight

  Micah wanted to shout with triumph, but he thought that might be pushing it. Dee was still skittish, even if she had agreed. He wanted to do nothing to upset her and lose his chance. Just getting her into his house tonight had been a major victory. Now having her in his bedroom…well, that was the gold medal and Nobel Peace Prize wrapped up into one big trophy.

  Even though he felt like running to the bed, he forced himself to walk, slowly. He could feel her nerves. They were easy to see. He knew she wanted this as much as he did. Damn, no, wait, it was probably worse on his side. He had initiated a lot of subs, but he had never in all his thirty-five years had a virgin. He’d never had the pleasure of introducing a woman to the ecstasy she could have, she would remember every time she took another man to bed.

  A growl threatened to erupt from his chest at the thought of another man touching her. He didn’t want that, couldn’t even think of that. It had never been an issue with him before, but he couldn’t deny the possessive feelings now surging through him. He wanted to be the only man to touch her. Ever.

  He brushed that feeling aside, and laid her on his bed. Again, he had this sense of rightness, a feeling that this was exactly where she belonged. Forever.

  He moved away from that thought. For the first time ever, he saw her looking nervous. She always put on such a brave face, and he hated to see it. Mainly because she would hate it. The fact that he wanted more than anything to please her, to make her happy, wasn’t a new feeling for him. Women were to be treasured, loved. But the bone-deep need to make her happy, that her happiness was somehow entwined with his, was a little too scary to contemplate.

  She glanced around, looking surprised.

  “Where’s the dungeon?” she asked, her voice threaded with nerves and a bit of amusement.

  He chuckled. “I have a secret room for that.”

  He pulled open the nightstand drawer and pulled out the red blindfold he’d bought earlier that day. She watched him, her big blue eyes solemn, more serious than he had ever seen her.

  “I bought this for you today. The moment I saw it, I knew it was for you.” He slid the silky fabric through his fingertips. “Like I said, sensual, no-frills sexuality.”

  “I’m not sure that’s something I would like.”

  He heard the fear there, understood it. It was a little thing, the only thing he would ask of her tonight. He would have stopped if he hadn’t heard the arousal threaded in her tone. She wanted to give over to the power, wanted to let him be the one in charge. Knowing that, having his suspicions confirmed, sent a jolt of lust spinning so fast through his blood he almost groaned. The fabric of his pants was rough against his erection and every move he made heightened the friction.

  He slipped onto the bed next to her and couldn’t fight the smile when he heard her breath catch. After so many months thinking she wasn’t aware of him, it was balm to his battered ego to know that she was in fact very aware of him.

  “You understand why I would do this to you? Put the blindfold on?”

  “To be in control.”

  This was going to be harder than he thought it would be. He could all but see her closing off to him. He knew it shamed her that she wanted him in control. She craved it. Her responses to him had proven that. But a tough woman like her might see it as a weakness to be ashamed of.

  “No. Well, partially. But another aspect of it is allowing you to feel, taste, touch…all the senses but your sight. It will heighten your pleasure.”

  She didn’t look completely convinced. In fact, with the wary look she was offering him, she was probably just seconds from crossing her arms over that very delectable chest of hers.

  “There is always a way to call a stop to it. You need to come up with a safe word, one that tells me that I’ve gone too far.”

  She threaded her fuller bottom lip between her teeth. He wanted nothing more than to lean forward and kiss her into submission. With another woman, especially a sub who knew what was going on, he would do it. But he knew this was important. She had to make this decision without his interference. Of course, if she decided against it, he might change his mind.

  “Dee?”

  She looked at the slip of fabric and nodded.

  “First though, you need a safe word.”

  She drew in a deep breath. “Hawaii.” The word was said with such reverence it made him smile.

  He leaned forward. “Remember, if at any time you feel like it’s too much, that you are being pushed over an edge that scares you, use that word. It is very important that you understand that.”

  She nodded.

  He slipped the fabric over her head, tying it in back. He brushed his mouth over hers. “Good girl.”

  He moved from the bed, pulled off his jacket and his shirt. He knew that she could hear his movements, hear the fabric being removed. Her breath sped up, and when he turned around to face her, he noticed her pulse was throbbing in her neck. As in most Hawaiian houses, he had removed his shoes when he’d entered, so all he wore now was a pair of pants. He wanted nothing more than to pull them off, but he knew better. He needed some kind of barrier to keep from jumping her.

  He approached her, reminding himself to take it slowly. It wasn’t something he usually had a problem with. It was one of the things he was proud of. But thinking about her for the last six months, wanting her, dreaming of her, had shredded a lot of his control.

  Normally, he would make a sub strip. It was one of his favorite ways to exert power over the situation. But right now, he knew this was all she could take. Hell, she wasn’t just a virgin sub, but a virgin, with all the nerves that went along with it. He didn’t think she was scared, but even knowing about sex, knowing what went on, didn’t really let her know how it felt to connect to another human being in such a way.

  “I’m going to remove your dress.”

  She opened her mouth, but he pressed his index finger against her lips.

  “Unless you are going to say Hawaii, don’t say anything. I don’t want a peep out of you unless you’re moaning my name.”

  She shivered, her breasts swaying with the action. As he reached behind her, his fingers skimmed her soft flesh and he sighed. Just that simple contact had his libido in overdrive. He wanted nothing more than to shred her clothes and devour her.

  His fingers were shaking by the time he undid the knot behind her neck. The halter fell away, baring her breasts to his view. God, she was gorgeous. Pale skin with just the smallest hint of a tan line. Her breasts weren’t huge, but just the right size. He couldn’t stop his hand from sliding down to tease first one, then the other nipple. She sucked in a breath and he felt it as if she had touched him.

  “You can show your pleasure, as I said before. That I have no problem with. If you have a question, you need to ask permission, but I prefer to be addressed as Sir.”

  She frowned at that, and he chuckled. She would not go easily. It would take a while, he knew that, but he also knew she would fight him all the way. He actually preferred a spunky sub. He wanted a woman who could stand up for herself. Not someone weak-willed.

  When she said nothing, he leaned forward and pressed the flat of his tongue over her nipple. She moaned then, the sound long, drawn out and filled with such need he almost lost his control. Over a tiny moan.

  He grazed his teeth over her nipple then pulled away. He took a little time as he slipped the dress off her body and placed it on a chair beside the bed. When he turned around, his breath stopped short in his lungs. Seeing her here, against his red sheets, filtered through his blood, warming it to boiling. She was gorgeous. He knew that. Her body was trim and muscled, but not too tough. She had nicely curved hips, shapely legs. The nest of dark curls between her legs drew him. The urge to bury
his face there, to take in her scent, taste her cream, almost had him scrambling on top of the bed.

  Instead, for her, he counted backwards from ten. Twice.

  “Lay back, Dee.”

  She did as he asked and he smiled. She might think she was independent, but the woman was made for being a sub, at least in bed. He sat beside her and again noticed his hand shaking when he placed his palm on her stomach. He smiled when the muscles beneath his fingers jumped.

  “Your pleasure will be heightened by losing your sight. Of course, all your pleasure is for me to give. You do not take.”

  He skimmed his hand down to her pussy and laid it there. The heat of her sex warmed his hand. Her curls were damp, dripping with her arousal. He could imagine just how she would feel against his cock as he slid in.

  “Do you understand?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Yes, Sir,” he insisted.

  She hesitated and he raised his hand and smacked her pussy. Her gasp was filled with arousal and irritation. She swallowed.

  “Yes, Sir.”

  He rewarded her compliance with a caress, slipping his finger along her slit.

  “I don’t ask for much tonight. I understand that this isn’t just your first submission. But I do expect some respect. And if you want to come, you will obey me.”

  She bit her lower lip as he continued to slip his finger up and down her slit. Since she said nothing, did not defy him, he allowed the tip of his index finger to slide against her clit.

  Fuck, it was already hard.

  He lay down beside her, slipped his hands to her arms and pulled them above her head. “I do not want to use restraints tonight.”

  That was a big fat lie, but he wanted to ease her worries. He couldn’t wait to tie her up as he fucked her senseless, but he knew that would be a bit too hardcore for their first time.

  “But I do want you to hold on to the rungs in my headboard.”

  He watched as she complied, her agile fingers slipping over the wood. She had dainty hands, slim fingers. He didn’t know why he’d never noticed it before. Before he could stop it, the image of her hands slipping down his stomach and wrapping around his cock solidified in his mind.