Connelly closed her eyes and sighed. She hadn’t handled it very well either. Now that she’d calmed down some, she realized he hadn’t really done any harm, and most of the time at the club, he’d made her say what she wanted out loud. She remembered his comment that first night about how nice she looked and how she shouldn’t be concerned. He’d picked up on her insecurities and tried to make her feel better about herself.
If he could really do this, it wasn’t such a bad thing. True, she would never be able to hide anything from him, but what would she want to hide? It might actually be nice for a man to know her every desire without her having to ask for it. Unless, of course, he made her ask, which also wasn’t such a bad thing.
She dropped her hands on the island and stared out the kitchen window. For the first time, she noticed the spices that filled the kitchen, and she inhaled deeper before turning to see what Daniel and Josh were doing.
“That smells wonderful. What’s for lunch?” she asked.
“Spaghetti,” Josh replied.
“So who’s the cook?” she asked as she watched the two of them move around the large room.
They both pointed at the other. Connelly snickered. “It must be questionable if the two of you are each trying to blame the other.”
The two men laughed but didn’t elaborate. She glanced out the window again. “Maybe I should go talk to Nathan again.”
She saw Daniel glance at her over his shoulder as he pulled a block of cheese out of the fridge. “Nathan has good intentions, Connelly. He can’t help what he was born with.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I’ve never heard of anyone who could do what he does. I always thought that sort of thing was a myth.”
Josh set a loaf of French bread on the island and then rummaged through a drawer for a knife. “I’ve worked with a lot of psychics. Nathan’s good, but there are others out there who can do even more than he can.”
She raised an eyebrow in surprise. “More? Really?”
Josh examined a knife he pulled from the drawer. Once satisfied, he shut the drawer and pulled the loaf closer to him. “Oh, yeah. You’d be surprised what’s out there.”
“Probably so,” she mumbled. “I’m also surprised at how well you seem to know this kitchen.”
Josh smiled softly. “Nathan used to stay here before he got his own place. That was back when he worked for the FBI. We’ve also used it a few times as a safe house. Having a private elevator with only one way in or out makes it a pretty good one.”
“Doesn’t your dad ever stay here?” she asked Daniel.
“When he’s in Atlanta, he does, but he doesn’t come here much anymore. Dad’s just never gotten around to selling it. He was waiting on the real estate market to climb back, I think.”
She looked up at the ceiling and wondered what Nathan was doing up there. Was he mad? Was he upset? Did he understand her messed-up emotions any better than she did?
“Might as well get this over with,” she grumbled and climbed off the stool.
“He won’t bite,” Daniel called.
She snorted. “Shows what you know.”
Her sarcastic tone got a grin from Daniel. What was she saying? Of course he knew. They were twins who sometimes shared women. If anyone knew whether Nathan bit or not, it would be Daniel. At least in a sexual sense.
She climbed the stairs and opened the door to the roof. At first, she didn’t see him, then spotted his hard-to-miss form partially hidden by the shade of the wisteria-covered portico.
Chapter Twenty-One
Nathan sensed her the second she stepped out the door, but he remained where he was. He wouldn’t rush or push her. He let her come to him in her own time.
“I think I owe you an apology,” she said from behind him.
Nathan turned and leaned his lower back against the wrought-iron railing that circled the roof deck. “You don’t owe me anything, Connelly.”
“Yes, I do. I wasn’t sure I believed you and jumped to the wrong conclusions. I don’t believe you took advantage of me. You didn’t do anything to me I…” She twisted her lips as a blush moved over her cheeks. “That I didn’t want you to do.”
“I’ll admit my ability sometimes gives me an advantage when it comes to seducing women, but I would never make a woman do something I could feel she really didn’t want to.”
She wrapped her arms around her ribs. “I know.” She smiled slightly. “I would imagine your gift has a downside as well. It’s probably great to know when a woman wants you. Probably not so great to know she doesn’t.”
One side of his lips quirked into a sideways grin. “I never have to worry about being turned down. I only ask the ones I know will say yes. Although with you, I wasn’t quite sure you were going to. I could sense you wanted to experiment, but there was something inside you, holding you back.”
She glanced at the tile-covered floor and kicked at a leaf that had blown onto the roof. “Yeah, that’s my internal chicken. She sticks her head out from time to time and pecks until she gets my attention.”
Nathan chuckled.
“Daniel said lunch would be ready soon if you’re hungry.”
“Starving actually. What’s he cooking?”
“Spaghetti.”
Nathan gave a nod. “Daniel’s a good cook. Me, not so much. I got the psychic ability; he got the talent in the kitchen.”
“And the two of you split the talent in the bedroom.” She bit her lip, shocked she’d actually said that out loud.
“Don’t tell Daniel that. It will go straight to his head.”
Connelly snorted. “Like it didn’t yours.”
She watched breathlessly as Nathan walked toward her. Part of her wanted to run to him, let him wrap her in his arms. Another part wanted to run away. He was so handsome, so sexy, and so…out of her league. She’d planned to never go back to the club, to move on, but now here she was, sharing a bedroom with him in a condo that even her best-seller-list status couldn’t afford.
She felt dowdy when she stood this close to him, like a mutt sniffing around a purebred poodle. She would never go after a man like him under normal circumstances.
He lifted her chin with the crook of his finger, and she could feel the heat of a blush moving over her cheeks. She really needed to guard her thoughts around him. He tilted his head, studying her, making her feel incredibly exposed. She swallowed and fought the desire to jerk her face away. She couldn’t stop staring at his eyes and the sweet promise of passion that sparked in their depths. He dipped his head and brushed his lips softly across her, causing goose bumps to cover her skin. It was a touch so different from his usual dominating, toe-curling, devouring kiss.
He stepped back and took her hand in his, pulling her with him as he walked back into the apartment. Connelly followed without questions. He’d put a spell on her all right. She just hoped she survived the aftermath.
* * * *
Connelly stared at the last page of her manuscript and rolled her shoulders as she tried to figure out where to go from here. Her characters weren’t talking to her. It had to be all the crazy crap happening in her life right now. There were just too many things going on in her head. She couldn’t think straight, much less listen to her characters.
With a sigh, she reached up and rubbed her left shoulder, which had begun to tingle and go numb. She’d sat too long. She needed to get up and move around a bit.
Someone moved her hand away and began to knead her aching muscles. Connelly sighed and closed her eyes, not really caring at the moment which one it was; she just didn’t want them to stop.
“That feels nice,” she said as the blood began to flow through her stiff shoulders.
“How’s the story coming?” Nathan asked.
“I think I’m stuck.”
“Do you want to talk it out?” he asked softly as his fingers continued to make her feel relaxed.
Peter often helped when she needed to talk out a plotline. Unfortunately Peter was ha
lfway around the world…literally.
“No,” she sighed. “I think I just need to take a break. If I try to force it, the whole thing will suck.”
Nathan chuckled softly. “Eccentric writers.”
“Hey, I resemble that remark.” She shrugged as his hands moved down her upper arms, then back to her shoulders and upper back. “I miss my chair and desk.”
“You could try the office if you want,” Nathan said.
Connelly tilted her head to the side, allowing him to get closer to the sore spot on the side of her neck. “I went in there, but it just felt weird. There were a lot of legal files lying around, and I felt like I was invading Daniel’s privacy. That’s his space, and I know how I would feel about someone taking over my desk.”
“Territorial, I see,” he murmured, but Connelly didn’t miss the hint of amusement in his deep voice.
She smiled softly. “Yeah, I guess I am. How do you and your brother do it?”
“Do what, sweetheart?”
“Share women. Don’t you ever get jealous?”
He was silent for a moment, and she wondered what he was thinking.
“It’s a Dom’s job to satisfy his sub’s curiosity or her desires. If she wants a ménage, then the Dom should make it happen. If it pleases her, it should please him.”
“You said should.”
He snickered. “Caught that, did ya? Some Doms will not share no matter what. They don’t like seeing other men touch what’s theirs.”
“What about you?” she asked.
“I haven’t had any problems sharing before, but…”
She tried to glance at him over her shoulder, but he kept her exactly where he wanted her with his hands firmly on her shoulders. “But?”
He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “I think I’m just getting old and set in my ways.”
Connelly snorted. “Old, my ass. What if I wanted to share all three of you?” she asked, curious as to how he would answer.
It wouldn’t be the first time she’d thought about that since she’d been here. Three men, all zoned in on her and her needs, fulfilling every dirty little fantasy she’d ever had. To her, it was nothing short of heaven.
He tugged her hair, forcing her head back so he could look into her eyes. “Three at once, pet? Are you sure about that? You have trouble taking me sometimes. Daniel and Josh are both just as big. ”
“Oh, I think I could force myself.”
His lips twitched. “Famous last words.”
“You haven’t answered my question, though. Would you be okay with it?”
He didn’t say anything at first; then one side of his lips lifted into an adorably sexy grin. “If that is what my sexy little subbie wants, then I’ll make it happen.” He pulled harder, forcing her head back more, and she winced. “But only this once.”
The hard, very serious tone of his voice made her shiver.
“Are we clear on that, pet?” he asked in that same dark tone.
She swallowed. “Yes, Master.”
* * * *
Connelly stepped hesitantly into the living room later that evening after dinner. Daniel searched Pandora for music. Josh lit a few candles, casting the room in a soft glow. Nathan sat in a leather chair by the television. Nothing else had been said about her desire for a foursome. Had he changed his mind?
She had several times throughout the afternoon. She jumped from excitement, to fear, to anxiety, to curiosity, to flat-out lust. All of them were handsome. All of them were sexy. All of them together would definitely be a wild ride. But did Nathan have a point? She did have trouble taking him at first. What would it be like to have two of his size inside her at once? Would it be too much? Or would it be incredible?
Only one way to find out, in her mind, but she wasn’t all that sure she could initiate it. Yep, she was a chicken.
Was this a stupid idea? Should she have even mentioned it? After all, she’d only thought about it a few times, and it wasn’t that Nathan wasn’t enough. Hell, at times he was too much. She was just curious, and thinking about it had her incredibly hot. Did wanting something like that make her a slut?
Nathan snorted and crooked his finger. Connelly swallowed but walked forward, despite the fact she wanted to run. He’d done it again. Read her thoughts.
“You overthink things too much, pet,” he murmured.
Her whole body tingled. Pet. He called her pet when he was in Dom mode.
“I would ask how you know what I’m thinking, but that comment is moot.”
Nathan chuckled. “True, but I didn’t have to read your thoughts to know the wheels in your head are turning over something. When you’re thinking hard, you have a very specific expression on your face.”
She tilted her head, surprised. “Really?”
“Yes,” Josh replied. “You look worried.”
She glanced over at Josh. “Is that a Dom thing or an FBI thing?”
“The Dom thing came first. I think that’s what makes me a good FBI agent. I can tell when you’re lying.”
“Have you ever been wrong?” she asked.
One side of Josh’s lips lifted in a slight grin. “I don’t recall.”
Nathan chuckled. “We’ve all been wrong, pet. Even me.”
She turned back to Nathan. “You? Wrong? Surely you jest.”
“I jest not,” he teased. “Even with my ability, I’ve read people wrong. Especially in the beginning. Something like this is like riding a bike. It takes practice.”
Daniel turned the music up, filling the room with the sultry, sexy sound.
“Dance for us,” Nathan said.
She blinked. “Dance?”
Nathan set his elbow in the arm of the chair and ran his fingers over the thick stubble that covered his jaw. “You’re not supposed to question your Dom, pet.”
Memories of how that stubble felt against her skin worked its way through her mind, warming her flesh.
“You just want me to dance?” she asked as she slowly moved her hips to the music.
“And strip.”
She stopped and stared at him with what she was sure had to be a horrified expression. Strip? She didn’t know how to be a stripper. Could she do that and be sexy?
“Just go with it. Close your eyes and feel the music. Your body will take over.”
NATHAN WATCHED WITH barely contained amusement as her whole body flushed pink. She was so damn cute, but it was also obvious she wasn’t used to this sort of stuff. Being a sexy stripper was apparently out of her comfort zone. Nathan liked pushing women past their comfort zones, especially if he knew they could handle it. Connelly could handle this, and if his instincts were right, she would be good at it. Once she let herself go.
She lifted trembling fingers to the buttons of her white top and began to slowly undo them. She was stiff and nervous, making Nathan grin slightly. He stood and walked over to her. Josh propped his hip on the arm of the couch while Daniel moved to stand behind it. She flicked her gaze to them warily, then shifted it to Nathan as he moved to stand behind her.
“What are you—” she started.
Nathan put his hands on her hips. “Shh,” he replied. “Close your eyes.”
She drew in a slow, deep breath, then let her eyes flutter closed. Her dark lashes brushed against her fair cheeks. He was unable to resist the urge to bend down and place a kiss on those pink cheeks. She tilted her head toward his lips, and her soft intake of breath made his balls tighten.
Pulling her hips back against his, he began to move them both to the music. The corner of her lips twitched, morphing into a tiny smile. She had begun to relax.
“Just go with the music,” he whispered. “And strip. Slowly. Tease us.”
“I’m not very good at being sexy,” she murmured.
“You are, pet. More than you realize.” He slapped his hand hard across her hip. She yelped but kept her eyes closed. “Now do it.”
“Bossy,” she grumbled.
Nathan slap
ped her again, and this time she hissed at the warmth that traveled up her spine.
“Do what I said and make your Dom happy, or I’ll give you a spanking you won’t soon forget.”
She swallowed, and he grinned wickedly as he stepped away. He loved that sudden look of unease that came over a sub’s face whenever he gave them a warning. He could feel her nervousness, her trepidation, but at the same time, her rising desire. Those two taps on her ass had turned her on.
He dropped back into the chair and watched as Connelly began to awkwardly move to the music. She sighed and stopped. Nathan watched as she tilted her head in thought, her eyes still closed, and listened to the music. Her hips moved first, swaying to the beat; then the rest of her body followed suit. The more she moved, the more comfortable she became.
She raised her hands and worked the buttons loose on her top. One by one they popped free, exposing her pink lace bra beneath. Connelly had an amazingly toned body. She worked out and took care of herself, which was something Nathan found incredibly attractive. He never understood why women let themselves go.
Connelly slipped the shirt off her shoulders, then tossed it toward Josh. Chuckling, Josh caught it in midflight and lifted it to his nose, inhaling her scent. With a wicked grin, Connelly turned her back toward them and slowly slid her bra straps off her shoulders.
Nathan’s lips, as well as cock, twitched as he watched her tease the three of them. Now that she’d relaxed, she was having fun. Her bra came off next, and Nathan couldn’t take his eyes off her breasts. They bounced gently as she moved, and her pink nipples hardened under his stare.
“I know what those need,” he murmured.
He walked over to the bookshelf and pulled down the bag he’d set there earlier. At her surprised eyebrow raise, it was obvious she hadn’t known it was there.
“Keep dancing,” he said as he reached into the bag and pulled out two nipple clamps with a clit clamp dangling between them.
Oh, she was going to love this.
He strolled toward her, and she spun to face him.
Crime & Punishment 2: Master Delacroix Page 17
