by M. Malone
“Lift up, angel.”
She obeyed instantly, allowing him to draw her jeans down her legs. He followed the path of the fabric with hot, wet, suctioning kisses. She yanked her sweater off in record time as he kicked out of his jeans and underwear. It was strange and thrilling to see their actions reflected back above them. Her eyes drifted closed as his mouth went to work on the front closure of her bra.
“I can’t seem to move fast enough. I want you, all of you, now but I also want to go slow. Savor you. You make me want it all. Everything. All mine.”
She wasn’t sure if he was aware of the things he was saying. He was rambling, a stream-of-consciousness flow of love words that made her feel like she wasn’t the only one who was going crazy.
She wanted to experiment. She’d never tried anything adventurous. Never had the opportunity to try anything. Now she had a man she trusted with her life who could teach her things. Delicious, sensual things. She wanted to know it all.
But she wasn’t the first woman to look up at this reflection.
Jealousy swept through her. Carly’s words had been the catalyst to get her thinking, but it was more than just envy that the other woman had clearly experienced everything Eli had to offer. It was knowing that she wasn’t afraid to do or be whatever he needed. That was the kind of woman Eli needed. Someone who was courageous and strong.
Kay wanted to be that woman.
Eli framed her face with his hands. “What’s wrong?”
“I want to know how to please you, too. And don’t say just being here is enough. I’m serious. Show me what you like.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. He got up and walked over to the closet. Kay sat up on one arm and watched in trepidation as he selected something from one of the shelves and walked back to the bed. She couldn’t see what he’d taken, but it had to be small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. He climbed up on the bed, straddling her.
Lifting her arms over her head, he pressed them back. “Keep these here.” The movement forced her breasts up and in his face. He buried his head between them.
At her shocked look, he grinned. “You thought I was kidding when I said I love your body. But I wasn’t.”
Kay blushed, feeling like her face was on fire. “I didn’t think you were kidding. I just didn’t think you meant you loved to look at it up close and personal. Plus, I thought you’d want to tie me up or something.”
“Not all bonds are physical. The most arousing bondage of all requires no props. Do you remember this?” He touched her neck, his fingers wrapping slightly around her throat. Instantly Kay’s thoughts flashed to the first time they’d made love, when he’d held her there. She’d felt the ghost of his touch on her throat for days.
“Yes, I remember.”
“The sensation of being collared or controlled can be very arousing. But not just for the reasons you think. It represents trust. You trusted me enough to let me do that. You’re trusting me now even though I’m much stronger than you. It’s the most beautiful gift, the way you look at me.”
He flicked the tip of her nipple with his index finger, teasing it into a sharp point. Kay moaned and bit her lip to hold in the sound. He dipped his head and finished the job with his tongue until he seemed satisfied that she was at the point of insanity. Then Kay felt a tug of sensation that made her inner muscles clench against a throb of need. She looked down. Eli had attached a small metal clamp to her nipple. Little rhinestones dangled from the clip, catching the light.
“I love your breasts. I could play with them all day.” His tongue curled around the other peak until it stood up. Then he attached the other clip.
“Beautiful,” he whispered.
He lowered himself on top of her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Their lips met again and they didn’t break apart even to breathe until Eli slipped a long finger into her heat, coaxing a startled cry from her lips. He grabbed at the nightstand and sat back long enough to roll on protection. Then he raised one of her legs and wrapped it around his hip, using it as leverage as he thrust into her.
Her hands curled around each other, forming a tight knot against the sheets. He’d taken her slowly and sensually, but this was hard and fast, her breasts rocking in time with his powerful strokes. His eyes fixed on the movement of the little tassels, watching as they bounced and swirled with every thrust.
Kay looked up at their reflection in the mirror and was shocked by the erotic tableau reflected back. Was that really how she looked? All flushed and tousled and… sexy? Eli’s muscled back moved over her, his ass flexing as he pushed deeper and deeper.
That was when she lost it.
“Eli, oh God.” She exploded in a burst of light and sensation, shuddering as waves of pleasure radiated through her. Eli growled her name and buried his face between her breasts, his deep groan muffled against her skin.
When she finally had enough energy to lift her eyelids, she was startled to see him gazing at her with such affection.
“What?” she asked.
“Look at your hands,” he ordered.
She glanced up to see that through it all, she’d kept her hands exactly where he’d put them.
“I’m not sure why I did that.”
“Because you wanted to please me.” His gaze held hers. “That pleases me most of all.”
ELI PULLED HER hands down and massaged her arms. He’d been shocked that she’d kept her hands in place. Even more so that she’d looked so aroused by the notion of being held captive, even if the bonds were mental.
And the way she looked… His whole body tightened as he remembered her captive beneath him with her eyes closed and her mouth partially open. She’d panted and whimpered, every one of her little sounds making him even hotter. It was such a high, watching the moment she realized her body was no longer her own and that her cells and nerves responded to his will alone. It was everything he’d ever dreamed love could be.
He loved her.
It was a terrifying moment and also one of the happiest of his life. He adored her, and she actually seemed to feel the same way about him. Never before had he wished he knew poetry or wished he’d paid closer attention when they’d been forced to read that sappy Shakespeare stuff back in school.
But he wanted the words to express his feelings. Needed to tell her all the ways she was perfect. If he could, he’d wrap her in verses and odes to her loveliness. Crown her with sonnets of her beauty. But in the end, he wasn’t a poet or even a romantic.
He was just a guy in love with a girl.
“I have a surprise for you.” He moved off her, allowing her room to stretch out.
“You do? You didn’t have to get me anything.”
“I know. I wanted to. It’ll be here tomorrow.” For a moment, Eli wished he’d gotten her a real present. Something expensive and shiny that he could present to her while down on one knee. He’d never understood the need some men had to shower their women with monetary gifts, but he could understand now that it was just a reaction to overwhelming feelings. It was difficult to express how you felt and buying jewelry was easy. Hopefully the gift he’d gotten her would mean more.
Kay’s eyes lit up. “What is it? Tell me?” She tackled him and he staggered back, laughing as he tried to keep them upright.
“I’m not saying a word. Now, is there anything you need from the other room for the night?” He deposited her back on the bed and kissed her on top of the head, breathing in her scent.
“So, I’m sleeping in here from now on?” Kay hugged her knees to her chest. She looked so cute with her curls standing up on top of her head and a bashful smile on her face.
“Damn straight you are. I love this room. Every single thing in here I picked out personally. I love sharing that with you. I just couldn’t show it to you before.”
“Because you were worried about how I’d react to your freak supplies?”
He pushed her back on the bed, covering her wi
th his body. “Oh, you’re going to pay for that one.”
“Am I?” She giggled.
Her laughter rang out and filled all the empty spaces in his heart.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
KAY OPENED HER eyes the next morning and let out a startled shriek. Her reflection blinked back at her. The blankets were twisted around her legs and her hair was wild around her head. Her horrified expression perfectly matched how she felt inside.
“Okay, that was sexy at night. Not so much when I have bed head and morning breath.”
Eli mumbled something in response and rolled in her direction, his eyes half-lidded with sleep. He looked mouthwatering in the morning, wearing nothing more than muscles and a smile. His arm darted out and dragged her against his chest, his head immediately moving to the curve between her neck and shoulder.
Kay’s thoughts blurred as his tongue dragged up the side of her neck. She was plastered against him, the curve of her bottom pillowed against the hard muscles of his abdomen. One of his thighs came up between her legs, and she shuddered when it pressed right between her thighs.
“You’re beautiful in the morning,” he muttered. His right hand meandered lazily down and stroked her over the cotton panties she’d worn to bed.
She gasped. The man was a menace, and he wasn’t even fully awake.
She swatted his hand away. “Oh, no you don’t! You’re just trying to sweet-talk me into morning nookie.”
His deep chuckle in her ear was almost as arousing as the hard length pressing against her bottom. “Is it working?”
Just then Hope’s plaintive cry echoed down the hallway. Kay immediately sat up. Eli did, too. He pressed a quick kiss to her shoulder before he climbed out of bed.
“You’re exhausted. I should know since I’m the one who exhausted you. I’ll get her.”
“Are you sure? She needs a diaper change.” Kay didn’t doubt that he had the best intentions, but morning diapers weren’t for the uninitiated.
“I may not have kids, but Jackson’s two boys used to produce diapers that looked like toxic waste. I think I can handle it.”
“Okay. She’ll only eat dry cereal in the morning. She can eat it with her fingers.”
“Got it,” he replied. His voice was muffled since he was in the middle of pulling on a sweatshirt. He stepped into the pair of jeans he’d left on the floor the prior night, then he leaned over the bed to give her another kiss.
“Sleep in a little bit. We’ll be fine.” He tapped the end of her nose and then he was gone.
Kay flopped back down in the bed and listened with half an ear to the familiar sounds of morning. Hope’s chatter was easily distinguishable from Eli’s deep rumble. Then there was the clanging of cabinets and the soft thunk of Hope hitting the table as she ate her cereal. It was comforting, these sounds of home and family. Before she knew it, she’d dozed off again. When she awoke, it was quiet.
She took a shower and dressed before going up front to look for them. When she got there, she stopped short at the sight of the man and woman on the couch.
“Jackson! And Ridley! What are you doing here?” Kay clapped her hands over her mouth.
“Surprise,” Eli whispered. He came up behind her and kissed her on the side of the neck. “I know you’ve been lonely and feeling stuck in the house, so I asked Jackson if they could come by.”
Kay turned to him and kissed him, not even caring that they had an audience. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”
Ridley pulled her into a hug. “I am so happy to see you.”
Her friend had announced her pregnancy over Christmas, and she wore it well, glowing and happy. “You look fantastic. And you haven’t gained an ounce. How is that possible?”
Ridley shrugged. “I just hope I don’t have as rough of a time as Raina did. Although, she wasn’t a healthy weight when she got pregnant. She’s been living the model life so long she thinks it’s normal to eat lettuce and breath mints as a meal. I need food!”
“We can certainly make that happen.” Kay followed Ridley into the kitchen. Apparently her friend had brought along a bunch of food because the counter was covered with Tupperware containers and takeout boxes.
“Did you guys bring us dinner?”
Ridley blushed and looked at the boxes ruefully. “No, that’s just the food I brought along as snacks. I told you I was hungry!”
They laughed and linked arms as they walked back to the couch. “I want to hear everything that you and Jackson have been up to lately.”
Ridley glanced back at Eli. “I think I’d rather hear what you’ve been up to.”
MARA SIMMONS TUCKED her tote bag under her arm and rushed to catch up with her twin brother. She’d brought along several of her favorite movies, a couple of library books, as well as a pack of playing cards and some snacks. All Matt had told her was that Eli and Kay were in hiding but that Eli had asked him to drive up. She’d jumped at the chance to come along, and not just because she figured poor Kay had to be going crazy stuck in a house with Eli for the past two weeks.
There was a good chance she might need Eli’s help with something soon. Now was as good a time as any to start building up brownie points.
“So, why did we park so far away?” Mara huffed, already irritated that she had to lug her heavy tote bag so far.
“I don’t want to park right in front of the house. They’re trying to keep a low profile, not advertise that there’s a bunch of people there.”
“Oh, right. That makes sense.”
They crossed through several yards. Matt seemed like he knew where he was going, so she kept her mouth shut and followed his lead. It occurred to her then that he knew the way because he’d lived here for a few months last year. It was so weird sometimes to think that there were stretches of his life she wasn’t a part of. For years they’d shared so much that it was a foreign feeling to not know something about him. It made her feel distant and more than just a little lonely.
“We’re here. Approaching from the back.” Matt had his cell phone to his ear. He held up his hand to halt Mara’s steps. A few seconds later, the curtains on the back windows of the house in front of them moved to the side slightly.
“Okay, thanks.” Matt hung up and then twitched his head toward the house. “Come on. They’re waiting for us.”
“This is all very cloak-and-dagger. I had no idea your life was so mysterious.”
Matt scoffed and gave her a sardonic look. “There’s nothing mysterious about it. I just had to call ahead and warn them so they won’t shoot us.”
“What?” Mara stopped walking again.
Matt smirked.
She pursed her lips and shook her head slowly. “Ha ha. Very funny.”
“Thanks for coming with me, by the way,” Matt said. “Kay is probably feeling pretty isolated right about now. I think she could use a little girl talk.”
Mara suppressed a twinge of guilt. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see Kay. She did. Of course, she wouldn’t have been quite as eager to give up her weekend if she didn’t need to ask Eli for a favor. She hitched her bag higher on her shoulder. To be honest, she was probably in need of girl talk just as much as Kay. Once she asked Eli for help, she wouldn’t be able to take it back. And it wasn’t something she felt comfortable discussing with her brother or any of their other friends.
But Kay was a relative newcomer to their group. She could give an unbiased opinion on the whole mess.
The back door opened and Matt stepped back to allow her to go first. As soon as she crossed the threshold, she was grabbed by the arm.
“Mara! I’m so glad you’re here, too!”
Her breath left her lungs as Kay tackled her in a hug tight enough to almost knock the wind out of her. Ridley gave her a hug, too.
“I am so happy to see you guys.” Kay looked between her and Ridley with a big smile.
The poor girl, Mara thought. She’d probably been going crazy out here with only Eli’s gruff company for t
he past few weeks.
“Don’t worry I came prepared for us to have a girl’s night right here. I brought movies and snacks.” Mara held up her tote bag.
The guys were already huddled around the kitchen counter, looking at a bunch of files. Tank was on the end, looking somber as usual. Matt stood next to Eli. They both looked tense.
“I want to hear what the guys found out first.” Kay sat down in one of the kitchen chairs and crossed her legs.
Eli’s lips tightened. “You don’t need to stick around for this.”
“I want to know what’s going on. If I’m in danger, I should be aware of it.”
Matt glanced at Eli, then brought the files over to her. “Eli asked us to go over all our cases that had incident reports to look for commonalities. Then we can hopefully spot something that will give us a clue.”
Tank stood in the corner, not speaking.
She didn’t know him well, but he’d always seemed like the kind of guy who spoke his mind. “So, who do you think is behind it,” Mara asked him.
“It had to be someone who knows Kaylee. Really well.”
Eli grimaced. “Tank, a word outside.”
Kay looked at her before jumping up. “Wait a minute. I want to know who he suspects. I’m not that fragile, Eli. I can take it.” She looked at Tank. “Who do you think it is?”
“Your friend. Sasha.”
Kay gasped. “Why would you think Sasha has anything to do with this?”
Matt cleared his throat. “She’s been depositing large amounts of cash for the past year. There’s no way she’s earning all that money at her job.”
Kay suddenly became very interested in her toes. “Oh, about that. I might not have been totally honest about her job.”
Eli suddenly looked murderous. Mara took a step back. “Maybe we should come back later.”
Kay sprang forward and grabbed her arm. “No, don’t leave. It’s not that big of a deal. I just didn’t want to tell you because, well, because Sasha’s still a little embarrassed about it. She’s been singing at this club lately and the owner pays her in cash. Under the table.”
