by Leah Brooke
She couldn’t help but imagine Caleb and herself in the roles he’d described, something she suspected he’d done on purpose. Her throat clogged, and she had to swallow before continuing. “He just uses her for sex. She wouldn’t be special to him. Any woman would do.”
Her voice had dropped to a low whisper, taking on a softness that stunned her. “I mean, he doesn’t love her, or even care about her out of the bedroom—or playroom.”
The images she’d seen online of Dominants’ playroom still had the ability to send shivers up and down her spine.
They’d looked scarier than hell, and she couldn’t imagine subjecting herself to the kind of torture the room promised.
Caleb lifted her chin, running a thumb over it as he tilted her face toward the stream of light coming through the side window. “Even if it’s nothing more than a scene, a Dominant wants his submissive very much and, for that time, considers her his. He wants nothing more than to control her with her own pleasure, and her safety and well-being is his top priority. If you’ve researched this, you’ve probably heard about safe words, haven’t you?”
Stormy couldn’t resist the opportunity to get her questions answered and didn’t want this delicious feeling of being so close to Caleb to end. “Do Dominants really respect safe words?”
“Any Dominant worth his salt respects safe words.” His face remained in shadow as he moved closer, his hold on her chin firming. “I do and so do Lucas and Devlin, which is all you need to worry about.”
Tilting her face higher, he pressed his thumb against her bottom lip, tensing when she involuntarily touched it with her tongue. “But this isn’t a scene with us. I want more than that from you, but we’ll put that aside for now. Let’s establish some ground rules.”
Stormy shifted restlessly as the awareness in her nipples and clit grew. “So the bet is that you can seduce me without pretty words or actions?”
“It is. I won’t touch you sexually unless you specifically ask me to.”
“I won’t.”
“Hmm. That remains to be seen. I’ll touch you any way you ask me to. But you have to ask.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then you win the bet and never know the kind of pleasure you could have experienced.”
“And if I lose the bet?”
“It means that you’ve finally decided not to be stubborn and can experience pleasure like you’ve never imagined by submitting to me. I want you to be mine, Stormy. I’ll be waiting for you to say the words.”
“What words?”
“I’m yours.” Caleb released her chin, sliding his hand behind her to wrap her braid around it. Applying pressure, he forced her face higher. “Avoiding me is against the rules. The word no won’t work with me. If you want to know the truth about your own desires, you have to give this a chance.”
“What if you do something I don’t want you to do?”
“Use your safe word. Red if you want me to stop, and yellow if you’re feeling overwhelmed. If you say red, I’ll stop. If you say yellow, I’ll slow down.”
Something about the darkness and intimacy of being alone in the car with him made her believe it was possible. “Promise?”
“Yes. But if you use your safe word without even giving this a chance, it tells me that you’re too afraid of your own needs to see it through.”
“I’m not afraid of you.”
“You have no reason to fear me. Using your safe words only tells me that you’re afraid of yourself, and what I make you feel.”
Seeing the light of a flashlight moving toward them, Stormy straightened and pulled away. “What about Devlin and Lucas? I don’t want them to know anything about this.”
“I don’t keep secrets from either one of them. Besides, they want you, too.”
“If I take you as a lover, it’s between us. I’m not agreeing to anything with them. I’m also leaving Desire as soon as all of this is over.”
Caleb opened his door and got out, reaching out a hand to her. “We’ll see about that.”
Chapter Fourteen
She didn’t know what she’d expected, but other than watching her closely all night, Caleb did nothing out of the ordinary.
He didn’t smile at her, though, or touch her at all, keeping his promise.
Frustrated and annoyed, she found herself watching him, curious to know what he was thinking. Other than the glint of hunger in his eyes, though, he’d become as stone-faced as Lucas, not allowing her a single clue to his thoughts.
Waiting for him to say something to Lucas and Devlin about their bet, or to do something that would arouse her again, she found herself becoming more nervous by the hour.
And then it started to rain.
Caleb had preoccupied her thoughts so completely that she’d all but forgotten the impending storm.
Standing at the sink, she watched the rain come down in buckets for several minutes, easing slightly as if promising to end, only to come down in torrents again minutes later.
After washing up the small amount of dinner dishes, she glanced at Caleb, who appeared to be completely engrossed in whatever was on the computer screen, but he looked up as soon as she turned.
“Are you okay?”
“Of course.” She forced a smile, ignoring his frown of displeasure. “Why would you ask that? I thought you weren’t going to be nice to me.”
He closed the laptop and pushed it aside. “I already told you that a Dominant’s priorities are his submissive’s safety and well-being.” He rose, taking a step closer, and then another. “You don’t trust pretty words or soft touches, so I said I wouldn’t use them to seduce you. You think a Dominant is one-dimensional, something I suspect you think about all men.”
Irritated that she automatically stepped back, Stormy gripped the counter behind her. “That’s not fair.”
“No. It’s not.” Bracing his hands on the counter on either side her hers, Caleb closed the distance between them. “Whether they’re Dominants or not, men should give their woman what she needs.”
His eyes narrowed on hers, and without touching her, he leaned close enough for her to feel the heat of his body. “Sometimes it’s tenderness. Sometimes it’s raw and sexual. Sometimes it’s a sense of security. Sometimes it’s a spanking.”
“No woman ever needs to be hit!” Just the thought of him using his strength against her, and knowing the kind of pain such strength could cause, Stormy stiffened and pressed herself back against the counter.
“That’s not what I’m talking about.” Caleb’s eyes darkened.
Glittered.
“I’m talking about stripping you naked and turning you over my knee.”
Stormy gulped, the mental image of being so defenseless sending a chill through her. “Why would you want to do that to me?” She pressed her hands against his chest and shoved but couldn’t budge him, which only scared her more.
Caleb frowned and eased back slightly. “You’re scared. More than scared—terrified. Why? You must know that I would never hurt you.”
“How could I know that? After all, you’re threatening to spank me. I’d be naked and over your lap. Helpless.” Lifting her chin, she fought the panic building inside her. “And I’m sure you’d make it hurt like hell. What kind of a man would get pleasure from hurting someone smaller and weaker?”
“Enough.” Caleb lifted her to the counter, pushing her thighs apart to stand between them. Wrapping his arms around her, he dropped his head against her shoulder with a groan. “How the hell can I do this?”
Stunned, Stormy lifted her hand, sliding her fingers through his hair in an instinctive need to comfort him. “Do what, Caleb?”
Lifting his head, he brushed his nose against hers. “It’s obvious that you’ve been hurt in the past and that you need tenderness as much as I need to give it to you.” Stroking her cheek with the back of his fingers, he smiled sadly. “But every time I attempt it, you get all prickly. You don’t trust me.”
Sli
ding his hands over her cheeks, he bent and touched his lips to hers. “I would never hurt you. Erotic pain is something entirely different from what I suspect you’ve endured, and it’s something that I think you’d enjoy—once you learned that you can trust me.”
“It sounds like I missed an interesting conversation.”
Jolting, Stormy looked up to find Devlin leaning against the doorway, looking as if he’d been there for some time. Aware that Caleb watched her intently, Stormy shrugged, her face burning. “Just a misunderstanding.”
“Uh-huh.” Straightening, Devlin raised a brow, clearly not believing her. After several long seconds of tense silence, he turned his attention to Caleb. “Lucas is in the shower. He’s gonna be with Stormy tonight. The rain stopped, so I thought I’d check the perimeter.”
Spinning to look out the window, she was stunned to see that he spoke the truth.
She’d been so immersed in her interaction with Caleb that she hadn’t even realized that it had stopped raining.
Unnerved at how quickly Caleb’s tenderness had ripped through her defenses again, Stormy took advantage of the way he’d partially turned toward Devlin to jump down from the counter. “Can I go with you?”
Caleb ran a hand over her hair. “It’s safer if you stay in the house.”
Barely resisting the urge to lean into his touch, Stormy stepped away to face him. “Please. I’m going stir crazy.” She also wanted to get the lay of the land. It wouldn’t hurt to know good places to hide and an escape route in case she needed one.
Laying a hand on Caleb’s chest, she smiled when pleasure flickered in his eyes. “I just want to get some air. Everything’s fine, and the bet’s still on.”
Caleb’s eyes flared and then narrowed. “I don’t want to scare you.”
Lifting her chin, Stormy glanced at Devlin out of the corner of her eye to find him still standing there, unashamedly eavesdropping. “I hate being scared. It pisses me off. If it gets bad, I’ll tell you, but I’d like the chance to get past it if I can.”
Gripping his forearm, she went to her toes, keeping her voice at a whisper. “Promise me you won’t let me chicken out. I need to know. If you’re willing to be patient with me—”
Caleb smiled and touched a finger to her lips. “Absolutely. I’m willing to give you whatever you need. It would help me, though, if you told me what happened.”
Shaking her head, Stormy released him and stepped back. “I can’t. Not yet. I’ve never talked about it. Ever.”
Caleb frowned. “You must have told Logan.”
Shaking her head again, Stormy pushed back the memory of that night. “No. I didn’t have to tell Logan. He was there. Christ, I can’t breathe. I need some air.”
She needed to move.
She needed to walk it off, to escape the memories that had ruled her life for far too long.
She felt edgy and closed in, and hoped the darkness and cool air would help her calm down.
And escape. She’d feel better once she got the lay of the land and found a way out.
She always felt better once she had an escape plan.
Sharing a look with Caleb, Devlin took her arm. “Come on. We’ll get some air.”
Caleb touched her arm before she could turn away. “Stay close to Devlin.”
Nodding, Stormy smiled in relief. “I will. Thanks.”
* * * *
Devlin slowly made his way around the house, checking that all the lights and sensors hadn’t been disturbed by the storm while keeping a close eye on Stormy.
True to her word, Stormy stayed close by his side, pausing when he did.
She’d taken several deep breaths as soon as they came outside, as if tension kept her from breathing.
Her breathing had gradually slowed, and her movements had become less jerky, but she still seemed to be preoccupied.
She didn’t speak, but he would swear he could hear her mind working. She seemed distracted, walking silently with him, apparently deep in thought.
Once they’d complete a circle around the house, he started toward the trees that surrounded the property.
They’d walked in silence for several minutes, the motion detector lights going on and off as they passed them, when Stormy finally spoke.
“Why would a Dominant spank his submissive?”
Surprised by the question, Devlin hid a smile, catching her hand when she tripped over a root. With a shrug, Devlin continued on, keeping her hand in his. “I can’t speak for all Dominants, of course. Each relationship is different.”
“Really?” Looking up at him, she blinked when the next light came on. “I thought there were rules that everyone had to follow.”
Devlin allowed a small smile, enjoying her curiosity. “The relationship between a Dominant and his submissive is as different as any other relationship. There’s a lot of communication. They learn what each other needs, and they go from there. No two are the same, pretty much like any other sort of relationship. They all have similar qualities, but no two are ever alike.”
Pausing, he turned to face her. “But that’s not what you really want to know, is it? Ask the question you really want to ask, Stormy.”
Her eyes narrowed as she studied his features, and it took another minute before she blew out a breath and started walking again. “Why would Caleb want to spank me? Why would he want to hurt me? How could he get pleasure from hurting me? I don’t get it. Why would he think I would have anything to do with him after he did it?”
Shortening his stride to match hers when she slowed, Devlin kept her hand in his. “Caleb would spank you for several reasons. To assert his dominance. To arouse you. To punish you for disobeying him or breaking one of the rules that have been established.”
Stormy made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort. “A spanking isn’t going to arouse me, Devlin.”
He stopped, turning to her. “Have you ever been spanked by a lover?”
“Of course not!”
With a finger beneath her chin, he forced her to look up at him. “Then don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Remember, you can stop it any time you want to.”
“That doesn’t even make sense. What’s the point of trying to spank me if I can stop it any time?” She started walking again, looking around as if she’d finally started observing her surroundings. “Besides, I’m a grown woman. I have no desire to ever be punished.”
Devlin chuckled. “I’m sure you don’t.” He paused, reaching up to break off a small branch of leaves that partially blocked one of the cameras. “If you were mine, you would have been over my knee the minute I got you back home after you took off.”
He hid a smile when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw her cover her well-rounded ass with her hands. “It would make you think twice before doing something so dangerous again.”
“That’s just mean.”
Tossing the leaves aside, he turned to her again. “You think it’s mean to do everything in my power to keep you from putting yourself in danger again?”
Stormy frowned and looked away. “Like I said, I’m a grown woman.”
Letting his gaze rake over her, Devlin inclined his head. “I’m well aware of that. Just as you should be aware that I’m a man, Stormy. I take the responsibility of caring for my woman seriously. Also, I’m not one of those half-assed boys who can’t keep his dick in his pants when he’s got a woman waiting for him at home. I don’t have anything to prove, except to my woman.”
The wind had picked up again, and with a hand at her back, he urged her forward again, anxious to get her back inside before the next round of rain began.
Devlin realized that he spoke in the present tense, having already decided to make her his. Unsure of whether she understood that, although Lucas continued to fight it, the three of them already considered Stormy theirs.
The realization that he was already more than halfway in love with her stunned him, but the ease with which he accepted it stunned him even more.
She’d been through something terrible—something that had traumatized her and turned her against men in general.
Winning her trust would take time, patience, and perseverance, but he knew it would be worth it.
She wouldn’t love easily, and it wouldn’t be comfortable for her, but getting there promised to be a hell of an adventure.
She looked at him more and more as they walked—her frequent glances at his lips and chest making his cock ache.
Stormy stopped, turning to him and touching his forearm to get him to stop. “What do you mean? What would you have to prove to your woman?”
Taking her hand in his, he moved on, checking that all of the motion detectors were working. Knowing Caleb would be monitoring them on the cameras, Devlin avoided the next motion detector and pulled her into the shadows. “A woman needs to know that her man can handle her.”
Stormy settled her hands on his chest, looking up at him, her eyes flashing with anger. “Handle her?”
Settling his hands on her waist, he pulled her slightly closer, keeping his touch non-threatening. “Of course. A woman wants to know that her man can tease her out of her bad moods, call her out on her bullshit, and know when she needs a hug or a spanking. He needs to be able to make her feel secure and to trust him with her heart and her body. He needs to make sure she feels loved and safe.”
Stormy blinked, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Call her out on her bullshit?”
“Yep.” Bending low, he slid his hands to her back, easing her closer until his cock pressed against her belly. “I’m gonna kiss you.”
Sliding her hands to his shoulders, she narrowed her eyes. “What if I don’t want you to kiss me?”
Devlin smiled. “Bullshit. The way you keep looking at my mouth is driving me crazy.”
Stormy blinked, her smile of pure feminine mischief hardening his cock in an instant. “It is?”
Reminding himself that he needed to go slowly, he fought the need to crush her against him and gently gathered her closer. “It is.” Brushing her lips with his, he teased her, easing back slightly to see if she would follow.
