by Cathryn Fox
His tongue thrust into her mouth at the same time his fingers thrust deep and wiggled inside her, setting off her orgasm. Pleasure covered every one of her nerve endings and she cried out, pressing back against the cross behind her, and pulling at her restraints at the same time.
Zach pulled back slightly and when their eyes met again his smile was soft and…proud. “Beautiful.”
He trailed a fingertip down her cheek to the corner of her mouth and she turned her head to kiss it. She parted her lips and sucked on it gently, heat building inside her again. She ran her tongue over it, nipped the tip with her teeth, and saw pure lust flare in his eyes.
He thrust his hips against hers. The steel ridge of his hard-on sheathed in soft leather wasn’t enough. She wanted him. All of him. Now.
“Take me,” she whispered.
When he pulled away she thought he was going to make her beg. But he only moved back far enough for her to see as he made quick work of his zipper. He pushed his pants low on his hips and his cock sprang free, long, thick and red with desire.
She licked her lips as he stroked himself once, twice. The sight of him completely naked except for undone leather pants that framed his hardness as he touched himself had made her forget where she was. She reached for him, only to find she was still strapped to the cross. Before she could voice a plea or protest he stepped forward, between her legs again.
The head of his cock nudged against her swollen folds, finding it’s way to her entrance; he gripped her hips before thrusting thrust deep and true.
“Oh, yes!”
Zach rested his forehead against hers, their eyes locked, their breath mingling as he began to make love to her.
And that’s what it was. She saw it and she felt it. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t touch him physically, that they weren’t in a soft bed somewhere. What mattered was the emotion in his eyes and in her heart. For the first time ever, Teal felt a true connection with someone. A connection that was stronger than the one of their bodies.
Her insides tightened, clutching at him as his pace increased and sweat dripped down his temple. The musky scent of sex filled the room, as potent and raw as the liquid sounds of flesh slapping against flesh.
Zach reached up and tugged sharply at the chain between her breasts, pulling the clips from both nipples. Pain and pleasure flashed straight to her core and she came. Her cunt tightened around him and her body shuddered as the world titled and went out of focus.
When she came back to reality, Zach remained inside her, frozen in position. She smiled, a languid heat making her mellow. “Thank you,” she said.
“My pleasure,” he replied.
He reached down, and with a flick of his wrist one leg was free, then the other. Without another word he started moving again. Both his hands slipped behind her, under her ass, tilting her hips forward for deeper penetration. She curled her back, wrapped her legs around his waist, and held on for the ride.
Teal didn’t think she could come again. She didn’t need to. She just wanted to make it good for him, to enjoy the feel of Zack’s cock stroking in and out of her, the connection they’d built.
She tightened her inner muscles and he groaned, his expression one of pure glory. “So good,” he panted. “You feel so good. So right.”
He pumped his hips and sweat dipped down his temple as he met her gaze. There was pleasure, pride and a touch of awe there.
Her chest tightened and her heart pounded. Her throat closed up and she had to bite her tongue. She was in love with him. How the hell it had happened so quickly she had no idea, but in that moment, the connection was so strong and so clear, she knew it was love.
As if he could read her thoughts, his eyes widened and his grip on her tightened. He gasped, his body arching as he thrust deep and held her tight. He threw back his head and groaned as his cock swelled and pulsed, emptying everything he had into her.
The liquid heat spread from him to her, and to her surprise, her inner sex clenched and ripples of pleasure radiated through her in a third orgasm. She tightened her legs around his waist and he pressed his full body against her, burying his face in her neck as they both fought to catch their breath and come down to earth.
Zach held her to him with one hand, and stretched up to release her wrists. When she was free, she let her legs fall and he lowered her back to the ground, slipping from her body.
“Teal?” he questioned as he straightened up.
“Shhh,” she pressed a finger against his lips. “Let’s go to bed now.”
Chapter Thirteen
The sharp shriek of the phone jarred Zach from a deep sleep. Trying not to wake Teal, he stretched out an arm and snagged the phone before it could call out again.
“Zach? I’m sorry to wake you, but is Teal there? She’s not answering her home phone or her cell.” Brina Jo’s voice was slightly panicked.
“Yeah, she’s sleeping. Is everything okay?”
Her sigh came through the phone lines loud and clear. “Well, I’m glad to see you two are working things out…you are right? This is the start of something and not just a two night stand or something, right?”
“Brina Jo? Is this why you called?”
Teal lifted her head and looked around. “Brina Jo?”
He rubbed her back with one hand. “She’s on the phone, sweetheart.” The endearment slipped out naturally as he pressed the unit to her ear.
“What? Brina? What’s wrong?” Her voice was groggy and the frown heavy on her forehead when she sat up and took hold of the phone. His woman was clearly not a morning person.
Okay, maybe five thirty was a little early for a lot of people, but still, she looked real cranky. Good to know for the future.
“What?” Her body tensed and she snapped the word out dragging his attention from her naked breasts. “Nooooo. They caught him? Okay. Yes. I’ll be right there.”
She jumped from the bed and threw the phone into his lap. “I’ve gotta go.”
He put the phone back in its cradle and threw the sheets back. “What happened?
“Someone broke in to the gallery and trashed it. Well, Brina Jo said their plan was to trash it, but the cops got there before too much damage was done. I have to go. Where are my clothes?” She threw her hands up. “Fuck!”
She dashed from the room and her footsteps thumped down the stairs to the basement.
A white hot flash of anger went through Zach at the thought of someone deliberately doing damage to all that Teal had worked for. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath, then another. Now was not the time to be angry, now was the time to be there for her…for the woman he was in love with.
He tugged on a pair of jeans on, and t-shirt in hand, he met Teal in the living room.
“What more can fucking happen? Why me? Why now? This gallery is a good idea, damn it, and I can’t even get it opened!” She was cursing fiercely while she fought with a shoe and he couldn’t handle it anymore.
“Hey, hey, hey.” He reached out and pulled her against his chest. Stroking his fingers through her hair he tried to soothe her. “It’s okay. They caught whoever it was and Brina said there wasn’t much damage right? We can fix whatever it is in time for the opening.”
She pushed back from him. “What do you mean we can fix the damage?”
His chest tightened at the anger in her eyes and he had to remind himself that it wasn’t him she was angry with. “Just what I said. I’ll come with you, help you get things cleaned up.”
She shook her head and avoided his eyes, putting her shoes on. “That’s not necessary. It’s my place not yours, and I’ll deal with it.”
“I know it’s not necessary, but I’d like to do it.”
She straightened up and started for the door. “Just because I let you be in charge when we get naked doesn’t mean you are in charge of everything I do. This is my place and I said I’d handle it.”
“I know it’s your place, and I’m not trying to control you, I just want to
help you.” Impatience and hurt crept into his voice and she snapped at him.
“Really? You want to help me? Then get out of my way so I can leave.
Pain knifed through his chest. This was why she was trouble. This was why he’d known he shouldn’t get involved with her. He thought he was standing beside her, and she thought he was standing in front of her, blocking her way.
He took two steps and opened the front door for her. Trying one last time as she walked past him and out the door. “You don’t have to deal with this alone, Teal.”
But she just kept walking, without saying a word.
Chapter Fourteen
Teal was just starting to think she’d overreacted. That she’d taken her anger at the vandals out on Zach because he was closest when she walked in the gallery, and saw Dominick talking to a police officer at the reception desk.
“Teal!” Brina Jo called out from the middle of the gallery. She left her husband, who she’d been hugging, and came rushing over. “I know it looks bad, but I’ve looked around and it looks lots worse than it is.”
She stood still while Brina Jo wrapped gave her a hard and fast hug.
The beautiful cream walls were decorated with the words ‘sinners’, ‘slut’, ‘whore’, all in neon green and yellow. The corner section where she’d placed the glass dildo, along with some stained glass frames of couples in the throes of passion was smashed apart. There was toilet paper strewn from one end of the room to the other. She saw a hole in the north wall where someone had thrown the heavy brass plated sculpture that now lay on the floor.
“Not that bad huh?”
Small but firm fingers gripped her chin and forced her to look into Brina’s face. “It really isn’t. Nothing a little paint and elbow grease won’t fix.”
Afraid that if she let herself feel relief, she’d burst into tears, she gave Brina Jo a sharp nod and a small smile. Then she turned to face her brother. With every step she took towards the reception desk Teal became more aware of her rapidly overloading emotions.
“What are you doing here, Dominick?”
“Lacey called me when they caught the kids in here and they couldn’t get a hold of you.” His dark eyes flashed but his lips curved up in a smile for the female in uniform leaning against the desk. “I called Brina Jo and came down to check on things.”
It was a reasonable explanation. She hadn’t been at home, and her cell phone had been with her clothes in Zach’s basement. Except, it was Brina Jo’s name listed on everything as her assistant for the gallery.
Teal glanced at the pretty young police officer that only had eyes for Dom. She crossed her arms, trying to hold her temper in. “So she’s your friend that told you about the graffiti, huh?”
The cops posture straightened and the happy light in her eyes dimmed. She held out her hand for Teal and spoke up for herself. “I’m officer Young, Ms. Jamison. I just want to let you know that the two guys responsible for this are in custody and that, judging by the tags on the walls, it’s the same ones that were decorating the outside of your building lately. You shouldn’t have any more trouble because they won’t be back.”
“Thank you. Although I’d appreciate it if, in the future, there is ever a need to contact me about my business, you do it yourself, or through my assistant. Not my brother.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Did you need anything else here?” Teal asked.
“No, Ma’am. Your assistant has a copy of the police report, and she assured us she’d get a list of the damages in the next day or two.”
“Thank you then.” Teal spoke briskly and the girl got the hint.
With a smile and a wave at Dominick, she said good-bye. “I hope your day gets better, Ma’am.”
“You were a little hard on her don’t you think?” Dom walked around the desk to stand in front of Teal. “After all, it’s not her fault she couldn’t get a hold of you right away.”
“No, it’s not,” Teal snapped. “But it is her fault that she called you instead of doing what she should’ve done, what a professional would’ve done, and called the name on the business contact sheets.”
“She was doing me a favor, Teal. I asked her to keep an eye on the place, to see if you were right and it was just punk kids, or if there was someone more sinister harassing my little sister.”
“And I was right wasn’t I? It was just punks getting a cheap thrill.” She threw her hands up in the air, wanting to smack him. “I can look after myself, Dominick. I don’t need you babying me all the time!”
“I wasn’t babying you, damn it! I was just concerned!”
“Well, I don’t need your concern either.”
His brows drew down in a fierce frown and he glared at her. “That’s right, you don’t need anyone or anything do you Teal? How the hell did you get to be such a selfish control freak? Mom and Dad raised us to be a family, to care about one another, and that means being there when someone is hurt.”
“It’s not selfish to want to run my own life my own way! Or my business for that matter!”
“Have I tried to tell you how to run your run your life or your business? No! I just wanted to make sure you were safe. Jesus, Teal, relax would you?”
Teal stood there, hands clenched in fists as she faced off with her brother. They both had tempers, and fighting was nothing new to them. But this time, it seemed she was the only one fighting.
“I’m sorry, Dom.” She took a deep breath, shook out her hands and tried to smile at him. “You know I love you, you’re my family. I’ve just been a bit tense lately. I’ve built a lot of businesses from the ground up, but this is the first one that’s mine. It’s really important to me.”
“I know it is.” He grinned, pulled her against his chest in a hard hug and kissed her forehead. “God bless the poor sap that falls in love with you because he’s going to need the patience of a saint.”
Chapter Fifteen
It took less than an hour for Teal to realize that she just might be able to get everything cleaned up and ready for the Gallery’s opening on Friday. It would be a lot of work, but mostly it was grunt work that anyone could do.
Two of the display shelves Zach had put in had been ripped out of the walls, but the wood was undamaged and after the walls were patched and repainted, they could be reinstalled.
She just needed to call Zach and ask him if he’d do it.
“Have a nice day.”
Teal gave her head a shake and pasted a smile on her. With a polite thank you, she picked up the party box full of donuts and muffins, the tray of gourmet coffees and headed out the door. Five minutes later she pulled up in front of the gallery and tried to calm her heartbeat as she stared at Zach’s truck, already parked in the lot.
Throwing back her shoulders, she strode into the place like she didn’t want to run straight to him and apologize for her outburst that morning. She saw him immediately, standing in the south corner of the room with a full bag of trash between him and her brother.
They both looked her way when she arrived, but neither waved or said anything. Teal’s gaze slid away from Zach’s unreadable one to see a shit-eating grin on her brother’s face. The sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach made her want to run and hide.
“How long have they been like that?” Teal asked Brina Jo, who’d joined her and was already munching on a Boston Crème.
Brina eyed her and swallowed before answering. “Since Zach got here.”
“And that was how long ago?”
“About five minutes after you walked out the door.” There was a beat of silence as the women stared at each other. “I’m a bit surprised he didn’t show up with you earlier, actually.”
Heat crept up Teal’s neck. “He wanted to, but, I, um … told him to back off.”
Her friend frowned and picked up two of the coffees. “I can’t say I’m surprised. Disappointed, but not surprised.”
Teal stood there, her heart pounding and her throat tightening as Brina c
arried the coffee’s over to her husband.
Doug had canceled his own workday to help out. Dom, like Doug had gone home and showered, before giving up his appointments to stick around and do clean up.
They all knew Lush was her baby, and they all cared about her enough to help her get it back in shape. She hadn’t even had to ask.
Finally, Teal let her gaze rest on Zach.
He looked good. Calm, cool and collected as he talked to Dom. His hair was in it’s natural slightly mussed state, and he was dressed to work. As if nothing had happened.
Something grabbed hold of Teal’s heart and started to squeeze. He had let her walk out that morning. He’d let her deal with the immediate crisis, without trying to take over. She knew now, that he’d only wanted to be there for her, the same way her brother was. The same way her friends were.
Despite Zach’s admitted fondness for sexual domination, he’d never once tried to force her into anything, or take any type of choice away from her. She glanced back at the photo behind her. It was miraculously untouched, and she was thankful, because now she could see something she’d missed before.
That photo matched what Zach had said to her in the basement. The submissive one was the one ultimately in control. The man wasn’t dominating her so much as she was gifting him with her submission.
Zach didn’t dominate her, or try to control her. He just accepted what trust she gave. And he would never take something she wasn’t willing to give.
Zach tried not to stare when Teal strode into the gallery. She looked amazing. But something was missing. The magic that was her, the attitude that had both caught his attention and warned him away, was gone. Heaviness settled in the pit of his gut when their gazes met and hers skittered away quickly.
