Molly's Man (Haven, Texas Book 4)

by Laylah Roberts

  “Yes.” He gave her another hard smack. “Enough distractions. Count.”

  The smacks landed again. This time they came without pause. Sharp and heavy. The pain robbed her of her breath. By the time number ten hit she was certain she couldn’t take anymore. Then somewhere between twelve and thirteen something happened. There was still pain, but her arousal grew once more. Her body became more relaxed. As she passed through fifteen she found herself drifting.

  Her mind emptied. All that was left was sensation: the feel of Jake’s hard legs beneath her belly, the way his hand landed on her ass, her clit throbbing, her nipples growing harder as they rubbed against the leather of the couch, and her skin becoming more sensitive. She was on fire, but in a good way.

  When he stopped she almost cried out in protest.

  “Good girl,” he whispered to her, rubbing his hand down her back “I know that was hard. You did so well, my beautiful, little kitten.”

  She stirred, forcing herself to respond. “Little? Dude, if I was a cat I’d be a lion, not a kitten.”

  “You are what I say you are. And I won’t have you talk down about yourself, understand me? This body is lush and delicious, and I can’t wait to feast. My job is to take care of you. Part of that is making certain you look after yourself. You can’t look after yourself while you’re belittling your body.”

  Inwardly, she winced. She knew it was ironic for a therapist to have body issues and she had worked through most of them. Sort of.

  “Sir? Here’s the contract from Master Saxon.”

  Molly squeaked as she heard a feminine voice speak. Damn it, where had she come from? She tried to turn to look, but Jake laid a heavy hand on her back. “Stay still.”

  Crap. Well, this was awkward.

  “Thank you, Bea. Molly, stay where you are for the moment. Bea, could you please turn up the lighting a little so I can read this?”

  He had to be kidding.

  “Yes, Sir.”

  The light grew brighter. Fuck. She cringed.

  “Good, please return in ten minutes.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “All right, let’s just have a look at your limits.”

  “Shouldn’t we have this talk with me sitting up?”

  “Nope. I like you just where you are.” He gave her bottom a soft pat. “Hard limits are blood play, scat play, fire play, whips . . . you don’t want to try a whip?”

  “No way.” She shuddered at the thought.

  “Have you watched any scenes with a whip?”

  “No.” Why would she want to do that? She wasn’t interested in having her flesh shredded.

  “People hear the word whip and they think of pain and blood, but in the right hands a whip can be just a whisper of sensation. It can heat the skin rather than cause pain and tearing. I think you should watch a scene with Saxon. You might be surprised by your reaction.”

  She didn’t think so, but he knew more about this than she did. “All right, I’ll watch a scene.”

  “Good girl.” The approval in his voice warmed her. She wondered how those two words could so easily boost her self-esteem. “All right, you’ve indicated an interest in bondage, spanking, ménage—that won’t be happening.”

  It wouldn’t? Well, it would probably be all she could do to keep up with Jake so maybe that was a good thing.

  “All right, these all look fine. You don’t have anything about sexual contact here, do you still want that?”

  “Yes. I mean, if you do.” Boy, this was much more awkward when she couldn’t see his face.

  “Baby, my cock is so hard right now it hurts.”

  “That’s great!” Whoops, that might have been a little too enthusiastic.

  He chuckled. “All right. Did you understand the health and safety clause?”

  “Safety clause? Um, we didn’t talk about that. Saxon said something about going over it if I wanted him to find me a training Dom. I was just testing things out tonight.”

  “Well, now that you have a Dom, the health and safety clause comes into effect. Basically, it means if you’re in danger or you need help, you’re to do what you need to in order to get out of immediate danger and then you are to call your Dom. If you are ill the same thing applies. You are to let me know as soon as possible.”

  Guilt swirled inside her. But he was probably just talking about a cold or the flu. He hadn’t signed on for her shit. “Why?”

  “Why? So I can take care of you.”

  “But I can take care of myself.”

  “This isn’t a judgement on your ability to look after yourself. This is about respecting your Dom and his right to look after you. This isn’t all one way. What do you think a Dom gets out of this?”

  “Orgasms?”

  “This isn’t always about sex. A Dom likes to know his submissive looks to him to take care of her, to protect her, to be there when she needs him. We like to be needed.”

  She wondered if she could get that printed on a mug for him. The Dom slogan.

  “Okay. I get that.”

  “Great.”

  Bea returned just as they finished their conversation. “Please take this contract back to Master Saxon, Bea, and dim the lights again.”

  She was there again? That woman was quiet.

  Jake stared down at Molly, wondering how he’d managed to get this lucky. Fuck, she was gorgeous. She didn’t seem to see that. He knew the jokes she made about her body hid a deeper concern. It was obvious she struggled to see herself as he saw her. That was something he would address while they were together. He paused as he ran his hand over her back. He couldn’t commit long term, but he also couldn’t walk away after tonight.

  It wouldn’t be fair. To her or to him.

  She wasn’t staying forever. His gut clenched at the idea of her leaving even as his head pointed out that this was perfect. Fun, sex, domination, and no commitment.

  “Did you have a chance to do much looking around the club when you arrived?”

  “I did some walking around and watched for a bit. Then suddenly Saxon found me that Dom.”

  Suddenly, huh? Or when he realized Jake had pulled into the parking lot? He now wondered if being delayed by one of the other Doms in the foyer had all been part of a bigger plot.

  That bastard. His little game could have hugely backfired. What if Jake hadn’t decided to take her on? What if he’d walked away?

  His anger grew the more he thought about it. He and that interfering bastard were going to have words.

  “Jake?” She looked over her shoulder at him as she squirmed on his lap. “Is everything all right?”

  “What?”

  “You look kind of angry. Did I do something wrong?”

  She looked as uncertain as he’d ever seen her, and he realized he was being as much of a neglectful asshole as Saxon.

  “Everything’s fine, baby. I’m sorry. I was just thinking that we need to talk about some rules.”

  “Isn’t that what the contract is?”

  “These are rules between us.”

  “Okay.” She moved to climb off his lap, and he grabbed her, holding her steady.

  “Did I say you could move?”

  “Um, no, Sir.”

  “That’s because I want to have this conversation with you lying right here. Well, I’ll make a couple of changes. I want you to spread your legs further apart.” He wanted to play with that sweet, plump pussy of hers while they had their little chat.

  She laid back down without a word, even though he could sense her reluctance. Once she spread her legs apart, he reached down and ran a finger along her slick lips. Up and down, not pressing it any further inside her, keeping his movements light and teasing. Eventually, she relaxed and let out a sigh.

  “Okay, I’ll start. I’m clean. I never have sex without a condom.” Not since Rebecca’s death. In fact, he’d only had sex once since, and that had been a huge disaster. He’d been drunk and lonely.

  “If you want, I can show you
my test results.”

  “Oh, I’m clean too. I was tested after I broke up with my ex. That was nearly two years ago. I haven’t had sex since.”

  Two years without sex. He probably thought she was a complete loser.

  “Straddle my lap.”

  Jesus save her. Was he serious? She didn’t know what was worse—having her bare ass on display or having her pussy pressed against him. But because she was trying to show how obedient she could be, she got up and then climbed over his lap facing him, careful not to lean on him too much. She didn’t need the humiliation of him asking her to get off because she was too heavy.

  He ran his hands up her thighs then pushed down. “Sit back.”

  She wanted to resist, but he had that look in his eyes, and her butt was throbbing, telling her that resistance probably wasn’t in her best interests.

  “That’s better.” He ran his thumbs up the inside of her thighs. “Look at this pretty pussy all waxed and smooth. Tell me, do you always keep it like this or did you get it done especially for tonight?”

  “I usually keep it like this, but I did go to the salon yesterday in preparation.”

  He nodded. “So you knew you’d be getting naked.”

  “I wouldn’t say that exactly. I guess . . . I don’t know. It’s like your mom warning you to wear clean underwear in case you have an accident, you know?”

  From the confused look he gave her, she could tell he had no idea.

  “I did it just in case, but I thought the odds of it actually happening were low.”

  “You didn’t want to play tonight?”

  “I did. Or I thought I did. Until it started and then it just seemed to go downhill.” From bad to worse.

  “Did Mark stop and ask you how you were doing during the scene?”

  “Yes.” She couldn’t land the other Dom in trouble just to keep herself out of it.

  “And what did you tell him?”

  Hell. She knew where he was going with this. “Is this really what you want to be doing right now?”

  “It’s exactly what we should be doing right now. Because I need to learn about your needs, your fears, your desires, and the things that could possibly be a trigger.”

  “I don’t have any triggers.”

  “Oh, really?”

  She nodded. “I had a hideously normal upbringing.”

  “That so?”

  “Yep.” Liar. Liar.

  “I think you’re lying to me. We all have triggers. Things in the past that shape who we are now. And if I step on one of those accidentally it could cause you a lot of pain. And then I’d feel like shit. Is that really what you want?”

  Damn it. He had her there.

  “Fine. I’ll tell you about any triggers, all right?” But she wasn’t coming clean about her past. There was no need to dredge that up. All she wanted to do was live in the present.

  “Okay.” He gave her a knowing look. But instead of pushing her, he ran his thumb down the slit of her pussy. She gasped.

  “Now we’re going to discuss the rules of our relationship.”

  “You like rules, huh?” All her life she’d played by the rules. She’d tried to do the right thing. After her mom died, she’d tried to be so good in the hopes her father might send some attention or praise her way. When she’d been with Richard, she’d endeavored to be the partner he’d wanted. She wanted to live her life the way she wished to. But in this instance, following the rules just might get her what she wanted. Him touching her.

  “Rules keep us safe. They foster order and control.”

  “Being a sheriff suits you perfectly then.”

  “Most of the time. I like creating calm out of chaos. I don’t like when my people are in danger.”

  “Your people?”

  “The citizens of Haven.”

  She stared at him. That was a huge burden to take on. “You’re not responsible for everyone.”

  “I’m the sheriff, of course I am. It’s my job to keep everyone safe.”

  Wow, from someone else she would have said his ego was only outdone by his arrogance. But he said it so easily and without a hint of boastfulness. How did he sleep at night if he really believed he was responsible for keeping the whole town safe?

  “You have deputies to help,” she told him gently. “And at the end of the day, people are responsible for themselves.”

  “You’ve lived in Haven for a while now. You’re telling me you haven’t figured out the way things are run?”

  She’d noticed. And Savannah had told her a few things before she’d made the decision to come here. Although it wasn’t quite the same as experiencing it in person. Just the other day she’d had an elderly man admonish her for jaywalking across a quiet street, stating it put her at greater risk of being run over. And when she’d tripped over the curb because of her stupid, weak ankle, no less than five people had come to her aid. One of them telling her he’d carry her to the doctor if necessary. He’d been about half her size and she’d had to bite back her amusement so she didn’t risk hurting his feelings.

  “I love the way people in this town look out for each other.”

  He nodded. “And the men especially watch over the women and children. We ensure their safety, we take care of our own. Yeah, I have the men of this town helping, and my deputies, but ultimately everything rests on my shoulders.”

  “And that doesn’t weigh you down?”

  “No. It’s what I need.”

  Yeah. She could see that he did. Someone else might buckle under the pressure, but he probably didn’t feel right without it.

  He was a strong man. A principled one. With honor. He wouldn’t bend or break or leave her when the going got tough. This wasn’t anything permanent, though, and she needed to remember that.

  It was just a bit of fun.

  “Pull your breasts out of your top.”

  Her breath caught. She’d pretty much be naked then. In a roomful of people. Half of whom were already naked. All or nothing, right?

  She reached down the top of her corset, cupping the bottom of her right breast. Her boobs were already halfway out so she didn’t have to undo the corset to release them. She drew first one then the other out over the top of the corset. Now the only part of her that was covered was her stomach.

  His gaze was riveted on her breasts. Reaching out, he grasped her left nipple between this thumb and forefinger and tugged. She fought to stay still. The urge to rub against him like a cat in heat was so strong it took all her control to resist the urge. He gave her other nipple the same treatment, and she nearly melted.

  “Damn, they’re pretty. Plump and creamy and tipped by sweet, red nipples.”

  Oh, hell, he could not say things like that to her.

  “Please, Sir.”

  “Please what?”

  “Touch me. Touch my breasts. My nipples.”

  “Soon,” he told her. “Very soon. Rule number one is what we just spoke about. While you’re here, I’m claiming you as my sub. That means I will dominate you. I will pleasure you. There is no one else for you, understand?”

  He pushed his thumb against her clit, applying pressure but not moving it. She raised and lowered herself, trying to gain some friction against the tight bud.

  He grabbed hold of her hips, holding her still. She whimpered at the loss of sensation against her clit. Once more he took hold of her nipple. This time he twisted it hard enough to make her gasp with pain, but when he let go, a rush of pleasure filled her.

  Who’d have thought having her nipple tugged would be a turn-on?

  “No moving.” He gave her that look that made her stomach go all funny inside. “You’re not in control here. You don’t get to make the decisions and you certainly don’t get to choose when you come.”

  Oh, fuck. Another wave of heat flooded her. That shouldn’t turn her on. Except Molly was tired of making all the decisions. Everyone always looked to her to have all the answers. Part of it was her career, and she loved h
er job as a therapist. But it rolled over into her personal life and was draining. At least she didn’t have anyone else relying on her now, but she was still the one shouldering everything. Except for this moment. Because Jake was in charge. She got why people liked this. Even needed it.

  “Sorry, Sir,” she said quietly.

  He raised his eyebrows. Probably in shock over her quick agreement.

  He moved his hands back down to her thighs, running both of his thumbs across the silky skin between them. It became increasingly difficult to sit still as he moved his thumbs closer and closer to her pussy.

  “Yes,” she told him.

  “Huh?” His deep blue eyes stared at her for a moment in confusion.

  “As long as you’re only with me while I’m your sub. No one else for you either.”

  “Kitten, there has been no one for over a year,” he confessed to her.

  Over a year? Wow, what was wrong with the women in this town?

  “I haven’t been interested in being with a woman, a sub, for a long time.”

  “This dominance stuff, how far are you planning on taking it?”

  “Dominance stuff? You mean the power exchange we’re going to engage in? Because that’s what this is. It’s not me taking anything from you. It’s you giving me your submission. I don’t think you quite understood that when you came here, and it should have been explained. You thought you would control everything.”

  She didn’t think she’d been in control at all.

  “It’s me promising to look after that gift. To look after you. Sometimes it might mean me pushing you. And while you might think you want to keep this restricted to sex, I think you’ll find it bleeds over into the rest of your life.”

  “I don’t need someone telling me what I can and can’t do. I don’t want that.”

  He reached up and placed his hands around the back of her neck. Her pulse raced. Did everything he do turn her on?

  “You know very well that the women in Haven are expected to obey their men when it comes to their safety. Even though you haven’t got a boyfriend or husband here, the Fergusons are still charged with watching over you.”

  Seriously? She hadn’t realized that.

  “If you’d done something that needed addressing, they would have brought it up with you. Now I will, because you’re my sub. If you have any problems, you come to me. Not because I’m going to solve them all or because you’re incapable of taking care yourself, but because, as your Dom, I’m here to support you. I especially want to know if you’re in any danger or you’re sick. Understood?”