He moved inside her with torturously slow strokes, building her excitement until she thought she’d lose her mind. The heat and weight of his body against her tender backside sent more heat coursing between her legs. She arched back against him, wanting him closer, tighter, harder. Blake didn’t disappoint her. His thrusts increased, harder and hotter, as his control slipped. He plunged into her like a steel pinion until they both came in a wild surge of pleasure.
Temporarily sated, he removed her silken bonds and pulled her into his arms. Thea held him tightly and they drifted to sleep.
* * *
Hours later, they woke and were ravenous. They finished their pizza, and then cuddled on the front porch swing to watch the moon rise over the lake. They remained totally naked and unashamed. The night had turned cool, but they were cocooned and comfy with an afghan wrapped around them.
“We still need to talk,” Blake told her as he hugged her close.
Thea tilted her head to look at him. His sudden tension alerted her to the fact that he was ready for a serious discussion. She decided to brave the more intimate aspects of their relationship.
“We’ve been lovers for a while, but tonight’s the first time I’ve ever really felt like your lover. Does that make sense?”
He nodded, rubbing his cheek against her forehead. “We were just going through the motions, leaving us both unsatisfied.”
“So why did you wait so long to really make love to me?”
“I was taking my cue from you. You always seemed so modest and reserved that I didn’t want to risk shocking you.”
A silent groan bubbled inside of her. He’d thought her reservations stemmed from indifference. If only he knew. She wasn’t feeling quite bold enough to tell him the truth.
“Is that why you’ve been breaking dates and generally making yourself scarce?”
“I was having a hard time keeping my desire in check,” he confessed. His hand had wandered to the curve of her breast and he cupped it gently, flicking the nipple with his thumb.
Thea’s body reacted swiftly to his touch. She wanted to rub herself against him until he soothed the ache he’d created. But she was equally intent on listening to his explanation.
“I’ve been accused of being too possessive and demanding,” he said.
She snorted indelicately, and he pinched her nipple in punishment.
“I know I can be overbearing, but I don’t want my possessiveness to destroy our relationship. “I never want you to feel trapped or smothered.”
“Maybe I’m a little possessive too,” she said, stroking his chest and twirling the tight curls with her fingers. “I might be a little more demanding if you were a little less controlled.”
“And I could feel a whole lot more natural with you, if you weren’t such a slave to convention.”
“I know,” she said on a sigh. “It comes from years of social conditioning, but I’m making progress.”
“How so?”
“Well,” she said, letting her hand glide over his taut stomach. She smiled in the darkness as her touch brought his flesh to swift arousal.
“Our relationship has taken precedence over my career. I never thought that could happen. It’s also more important to me than family wealth or social trappings. And I have enjoyed this day tremendously.”
“Even if we can establish a terrific sex life, that doesn’t mean the relationship can survive long-term,” he warned. “Thousands of couples have tried and failed to beat the odds.”
“What odds, exactly?”
“The odds of a rich girl being satisfied with a self-made man on daddy’s payroll.”
Thea wanted to scream in frustration. “Why do men view everything from the aspect of money and power?” she grumbled. “Our relationship shouldn’t be controlled by either one!”
“Probably not from your viewpoint, but then you’re the one who’s always had it all.”
“And you think I can’t accept a different lifestyle? Do I seem that shallow?” she asked. “Why don’t you have any faith in our future?”
“Partly because of the way you cling to family and job, which keeps me the outsider.”
“A mistake I’m trying to remedy,” she insisted.
“How?”
“Well, I’ve been blindly obedient, haven’t I?”
He smiled in the darkness, brushing a kiss over her lips. “You’ve been wonderfully obedient. Amazing, in fact, but sex isn’t the only answer.”
“Faith, trust. You told me I can build those, but I’m not sure you ever had either where I’m concerned. You never really expected us to have a serious relationship, did you?”
His answer was slow in coming, as though he had to drag it from deep within. “No.”
He didn’t elaborate, and Thea’s chest constricted. If he’d never really had any faith in them, then what did he want? To sate himself until the passion was spent? A willing woman to share his fantasies? Had he just wanted her body and nothing else?
The question had plagued her from the first, but the answers were always the same. The confusion and frustration made her want to weep, even while she was wrapped in his arms. All she could do was hang on to him as long as humanly possible.
“You could move in with me,” came his tentative suggestion.
“I don’t think that would be a good idea.” She wanted a more lasting commitment.
Blake grunted his disapproval of her comment and held her tighter. “Let’s don’t talk about ending the relationship. We’re just getting it started. I guess we can bounce between your place and mine.”
“I’m getting kind of attached to this cottage,” she teased, wrapping her fingers around his erection, awed, yet again, by the incredible size. She murmured her approval as his flesh throbbed in her hand.
“With a little incentive, I could be convinced to buy the place,” he said, finding her mouth with his lips. “Ever made love on a swing?”
“We couldn’t,” she whispered, but her protest ended as he lifted her across his lap and slowly slid into her, locking their bodies with a satisfied grunt. She murmured her approval. This time she matched his passion, thrust by thrust, allowing no mercy until he’d emptied himself inside her again.
Later, he carried her to the shower and they took their time bathing each other. It was a luxury she’d never experienced, so she basked in his attentions. By the time they were dried and back in the bedroom, both were exhausted.
* * *
Thea awoke at dawn, teetering on the edge of the bed. Blake was hogging most of the narrow mattress, so she quietly slid to the floor. She stood and studied him in the rosy glow of early sunlight. Relaxed in sleep, his normally taut features were softened in masculine beauty. His naked skin glistened, his virile body relaxed and exposed.
Now he was the one who laid spread eagle on the bed, but his hands and arms stretched much closer to the bedposts. Thea shoved her tangled hair from her face as a thought struck her.
The silk ties were still looped around each post, the actual knots very close to Blake’s outstretched limbs. Did she dare? Could she secure his arms and legs without waking him? He did have a tendency to sleep like the dead.
Her lips curved into a delighted grin. Turnabout, and all that. The idea of having him at her mercy sent a thrill of excitement over her. Besides, she still hadn’t coaxed any words of love from him. Nor had she won an admission of trust. It was time to take action.
Within an hour, the cabin was filled with the scent of freshly perked coffee. Thea carried two mugs-full into the bedroom, knowing her lover to be a total addict.
She’d taken the time to dress in her skirt and blouse, but nothing else. Seduction played heavily on her mind as she set the mugs on the bedside stand. A glance at Blake made her pulse accelerate.
His hair was tousled and his jaw darkly shadowed, giving him a rakishly handsome look. The pelt of dark, silky chest hair arrowed down to his morning erection, making her blood run hot.
As if aware of her intent perusal, spiky lashes fluttered, then slowly lifted. His gaze immediately locked with hers.
“I smell caffeine,” he muttered huskily.
Then he tried to move. His eyes widened, erasing all signs of grogginess. His expression underwent a dramatic change as he realized he was tied to the bed.
A fierce, angry scowl came next. “What the hell?” He tugged viciously on the silk ties.
Thea swallowed hard, wondering if she’d made a big mistake. She watched tension ripple over his body while the stiffness abruptly drained from his erection. Finding himself at her mercy obviously threatened his manhood and dampened his desire.
“We need to talk some more,” she explained, moving closer to the bed.
He glared at her with unnerving intensity. “Untie me and we’ll talk all you want.”
She slowly shook her head in denial, and then sipped some coffee.
“Where’d you get coffee?”
“I made it.”
“You and whose chef?”
“Tsk, tsk, that’s just plain mean,” she drawled. “You’re sounding very surly this morning. I’ve been taking a crash course in domesticity. I’m no Martha Stewart, but I’m learning.”
Some of the tension seemed to drain from Blake, but his dark, searching gaze never left her. “Do you have any desire to become a homebody?”
“Homebody?”
“As in a home of your own without your family’s housekeeper and staff to cope with the chores?”
“I’ve been giving it some thought,” she admitted cautiously. “I like cooking and decorating, but I’m not too thrilled with cleaning.”
“How long do you figure this domestic streak will last?”
Her heart pounded, her gaze never straying from his as she uttered her next bomb. “Oh, at least until I get married and start a family.”
She watched the action of his throat as he swallowed hard.
“You want marriage and babies?”
“I’ve always wanted a big family.”
“You never mentioned that.”
“You never asked. You just set me up on a pedestal and refused to treat me like a woman with normal needs and desires.”
“Really?” His response sounded like a snarl.
“Really, and it’s high time we got honest with each other. That’s what you said. We need to be rid of the inhibitions and learn to trust each other more.”
Thea took another sip of coffee. It had cooled enough to risk feeding some to her captive. Just as he’d helped her drink wine, she lifted his head and helped him drink coffee. He drank his fill, and then dropped his head to the pillow.
“Damn, that tastes good.”
“I’m a reasonably intelligent woman,” she said. “I can follow instructions as well as the next person.”
“I never said you couldn’t. I just didn’t think you’d try.”
“Maybe that’s the real problem. Maybe you have too many preconceived ideas of what I want or need.”
Thoughtful again, he conceded. “Possibly.” His gaze scoured her features. “Any other secrets I should know about?”
Her hands weren’t quite steady as she set the mug on the stand and prepared to risk his wrath.
“Now that you mention it, that’s why I decided to turn the tables on you this morning with the ties. I have a couple little confessions to make, and I thought it might be prudent to restrict your movements while I was making them.”
Blake’s gaze narrowed, pinning her with a dark, gleaming suspicion. “Does this confession have anything to do with Ted Johnson?”
She eased herself onto the bed, crawling over his body until she straddled his waist. Her skirt rode up and her bare thighs made sizzling contact with his hard, hot flesh. A thrill coursed through her as her sensitive skin brushed the roughness of his. Moisture collected at the apex of her thighs, and she wondered if he could feel it.
“Actually, yes, it is about Ted.”
His jaw muscles clenched, the muscles in his arms flexing as he tugged at the bonds. “I’ll kill that sonofabitch!” he ground out harshly, bucking against her and his restraints. He pulled so hard that the bed clattered and bounced under them.
Thea shook her head from side to side, scolding him. “You’re supposed to have a little faith. I swore there wasn’t anything between Ted and me. That’s the truth.”
He stilled his restless thrashing. “Then what the hell do you have to confess?”
“Well, you see,” she started, slowly unfastening the buttons on her blouse until it hung open, giving him a teasing glimpse of softly rounded flesh. “I have to confess that Ted’s in Paris on business. I spent the night alone in his apartment.”
“You what?” The question was issued in a low, disbelieving growl.
Thinking it might be safer to distract him, she slipped off her blouse, and then cupped her breasts in her hands.
The ploy worked, his attention splintering at the sight of her touching herself. He shifted restlessly beneath her, stared at her breasts for a long minute, and then glared at her with impatience.
“You can’t distract me that easily.”
Thea slid her tongue over her lips. She lifted one breast and tugged it toward her mouth. Her tongue darted out to lap at the nipple, her eyes closing as she slowly sipped from it.
A tremor shook his body, quaking between her widespread legs. In response, she soaked him with some feminine juices.
“Dammit, woman,” he rasped on a sharply indrawn breath. “You could tempt a saint.” With obvious effort he forced his attention back to her confession. “Why the hell would you stay at Johnson’s place alone?”
“I was feeling desperate,” she admitted. “You were spending less and less time with me. I didn’t know what to do, so I thought I could stir you to action with a little jealousy.” She began stroking the thick, satiny hair on his chest.
He went utterly still. “You deliberately tricked me? You humiliated me and let me suffer the agony of the damned just because you wanted more attention?”
Thea lowered her lashes and nodded in shame. His tone condemned her and his body shook with the force of his anger. She didn’t know how to make it up to him. Brushing her hands over his chest, she nervously plucked at the tight male nipples.
“I’ll be eternally ashamed of that stupid stunt. I knew you’d find out, but I hadn’t considered the gossipmongers. I can only plead temporary insanity.”
“I was making you insane?”
“Your indifference was. You kept pushing me farther away and spending more time at work. I was feeling desperate.”
His expression darkened and his voice was harsh. “Untie me!”
Fearing that her plan had backfired, Thea refused to obey. Instead, she slid down his body and began kissing his chest. She teased his nipples with her tongue until they were stiff. His whole body shuddered, encouraging her to continue. He might never trust her again, but at least she could capitalize on their physical desire.
“There’s one more confession,” she mumbled.
“Oh, hell.” Resignation rang in his voice.
Sitting straight again, she looked him in the eyes. “I’ve only lied to you once since we’ve been lovers. And that lie’s been weighing heavily on my conscience. I think now’s a good time to completely clear the air.”
He closed his eyes on a sigh. “Don’t let me stop you,” he grumbled.
“Well, you remember the first night you asked me to sleep with you? You asked if I was emotionally involved with anyone? I kind of lied.”
His eyes snapped open again. “Kind of? How the hell can you kind of lie about something like that?” he snapped.
“Well, I was very much in love with someone or I never would have agreed to become his lover.”
Blake groaned as if in agony, muttering a string of indecipherable words. His chest rose and fell in time with his labored breathing. “Unfasten these fucking ties!”
Thea didn’t know i
f his agitation stemmed from fury or more complex emotions, so she thought it might be wise to distract him again. Sliding further down his body, she spread kisses across his stomach, feeling the ripple of muscles wherever her mouth roamed. Her own scent lingered on his skin.
By the time she’d reached his belly, his erection was full and pulsing with impatience. She sat back and studied it intently. After a quick glance at his strained expression, she took it into her hand and stroked it carefully. A bead of liquid pearled at the tip, so she dipped her head and tasted it with her tongue.
The sound Blake made was low and guttural, and his whole body jerked in reaction. Encouraged, she took the smooth, satiny head into her mouth, exploring it with her tongue. When his hips began to rock convulsively, she took as much of him as possible into her mouth.
“Thea, baby, stop that!”
Lifting her head to look at him, she asked. “You don’t like it?”
“Hell, yes, I like it,” he admitted on a strangled groan. “I’d have to be dead not to like it.”
She lapped at him with her tongue. “Then why do I have to stop? Is this another one of your inhibitions? Another of your preconceived notions of what I want or need? Protect the princess from anything untidy?” she teased. “Seems I’m not the only one who needs to loosen up a bit.”
His low chuckle turned to a tormented groan as her hands and mouth turned more serious. She grasped his testicles in her hands, rolling them gently as she sucked. She could feel the tension building in him as he strained closer, undulating his hips and muttering encouragement.
Filled with heady feminine power, she made love to him with her mouth with the enthusiasm of an inexperienced, but ardent pupil. As she did so, she relinquished more of her own inhibitions.
In a matter of minutes, he erupted with satisfying strength, his semen spurting like a gusher of hot lava. She swallowed as much as she could handle, but the rest of it coated them in sticky heat. Thea lapped it with her tongue and thrilled at his moan of pleasure.
Blind Obedience Page 5
