Duty Bound

by Samantha Chase

  “I am. But maybe you can be really quick.”

  Levi laughed again, warm and fond, and then let out a hoarse huff as I played with the tip of his shaft. I loved that I could please him so much, that I could see each sensation he felt in his expression.

  After a minute, he took my hands in his and raised them above my head, stretching my body out taut beneath him. His eyes were like dark, smoldering embers as he raked his gaze up and down the length of me. I was still wearing my little pink bra and panty set, but I felt completely naked, completely exposed, completely known beneath his gaze. “Don’t you want to hear what I adore?” he asked, gravel in his voice.

  I was breathing fast and shallow, so aroused I could hardly hold myself still. It was not at all how I would have expected to spend a Friday morning, but I wasn’t about to complain. “Yes. What do you adore?”

  He lifted a hand to my mouth and gently stroked my lips with his fingertips. “I love these.”

  The little caress was tender but strangely erotic. After a minute I was clenching my fingers in the bedding, trying to keep my hands up where he’d placed them earlier. My arousal was pulsing, but I managed not to grind up against his hips.

  “And I love this spot here,” he murmured, moving his fingers away from my mouth at last. He trailed them down to the hollow of my neck, where my pulse was fluttering wildly. He stroked my throat with the same light caress, focusing on the sensitive spot just at the base, until I was tossing my head back and forth from growing need.

  After a long minute of delicious torture, he trailed his fingers down to my breasts, still confined in the satin of my bra. He ran one finger up over the curve of one and then down to the cleft between them. And then back up along the other. I pushed up toward his touch, but it was never anything but a delicate sensation. “I particularly love these. And I love how these tighten when I touch them.” As evidence of this, he adjusted his hand so he could roll one thumb over the nipple, stimulating nerve endings that shot right down between my legs.

  I gasped and arched up. I knew my nipple tightened obediently as soon as he fondled it, even through my bra.

  “Look at that,” he said hoarsely. “Beautiful.”

  “What else do you love?” I panted, dying for him to relieve the ache of arousal. I still managed to hold my arms up above my head, but I couldn’t keep from clawing at the covers.

  Levi seemed to be enjoying my debauched state, since his hot eyes kept raking up and down over my face and body. He was almost smiling as one finger trailed down the middle of my belly until it reached the satin of my panties.

  He stroked my clit, very lightly, over the fabric. “I love this.” When he intensified the pressure just slightly, I made a choked sound of pleasure and bucked up toward his hand. “I love how out of control it makes you.”

  I was out of control. I whimpered and tried to push up against his fingers, but the touch was always too light to bring relief.

  “I love to see you this way,” he murmured.

  “I need to come so bad,” I begged, my eyes nearly rolling back in my head at the delicious torment of his feather-light touch. “Levi, please.”

  In response to my words, he slipped his hand beneath the fabric of my panties and lowered his face to take one of my breast in my mouth over my bra. “And I love,” he murmured over my breast, “how you totally come apart for me when I pleasure two of my favorite spots at once.”

  He suckled my nipple through my bra and slipped two fingers inside me, and it took only a minute for me to do exactly what he said. I completely came apart. I fumbled for purchase in the bedding as I rocked through a hard orgasm.

  “Beautiful,” he murmured, smiling as he raised his head. “I love how responsive you are. How easily you come for me.”

  The truth was I loved it too—I’d never come so quickly for any other man—but I couldn’t let him sound quite so arrogant. I was gasping in the aftermath of my climax, but I manage to find enough of my wit to frown and ask, “You’re not really saying I’m easy, are you?”

  “Never.” His smile broadened. Then he adjusted his fingers inside me—I was very wet and tight after my orgasm—and pushed them up against my g-spot. I gasped at the sensation and then gasped again when he lowered his mouth again to give my sensitized nipple a little tug with his teeth.

  Another climax sliced through me so quickly I cried out loudly in surprise and pleasure both.

  “You’re not easy at all,” he said with grin.

  I was so overwhelmed with two hard orgasms in a row that I was limp and breathless, muttering out a series of sounds that vaguely resembled, “Oh, God.”

  He laughed out loud and pulled his hand out of my panties, slipping the two wet fingers into his mouth and sucking. When he’d finished, he said, “And I love how I can make you feel so good you lose the power of speech…every once in a while.”

  When I regained my senses again, I scowled at him, feigning an annoyance I didn’t at all feel. “Arrogant ass.”

  “You know you love my arrogant ass.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh, and I moved my hands at last, reaching up to pull him down on top of me. “I do love your arrogant ass.”

  He kissed me hard, and I fumbled at his underwear until I’d freed his erection. Then I was spreading my legs for him, and he was moving aside my panties, and he was all the way inside me, and it was so good I was gasping even more.

  He took me hard and fast, unleashing his own need in a way that made both of us grunt and pant. I was clawing at his back and ass, and he was shaking the bed with the force of his thrusts. I felt the pressure of another climax tightening inside me, and I bucked my hips up toward this thrusts to chase it.

  Then he let out a hoarse groan as he jerked a few times against me. I knew he was close so I writhed against him, sobbing out as my orgasm broke just before his.

  We were both loud and uncontrolled as we gave into the pleasure, and I pulled him down on top of me afterwards, loving how his body started to soften, how he pressed little kisses against my mouth, my neck, my cheek.

  “I’m going to be late,” I said at last, running my hands down the long line of his back.

  “I think that was worth it.”

  “Oh, yeah.” I was still breathless and flushed deeply red. My body felt deliciously relaxed, deliciously sated. I kind of wanted to go right to sleep after such a satisfying round of lovemaking and briefly considered calling in sick. “Hell, yeah.”

  “Just don’t tell Jack the reason for your lateness.”

  “Never.” I giggled as I thought about it. “I’m sorry, boss, but my boyfriend needed an ego fix so he inflicted erotic torture on me until I came to three screaming orgasms.”

  “I’m not sure you were really screaming for any but the last one.” He gave me one more little kiss. “I’ll work on that. Next time, you’ll definitely scream with each one.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  I was about to push him away, since I needed to clean up a bit before dressing and going to work. But his face softened as he gazed down on me and he murmured, “Sweetheart, just so it’s clear. There’s nothing easy about you.”

  I was so full of feeling I could hardly contain it. “Same to you. I guess that’s why we’re a perfect match.”

  ***

  That afternoon, I was at my desk, trying to finish up a story on a restoration of Main Street project that the mayor was advocating, while waiting on hold endlessly on a call for another story.

  I finished the Main Street story and still had the phone tucked under my ear when Jack came over. He’d been low-key for most of the week, but something must have stressed him out since the morning since his sleeves were rolled up past his elbows for the first time in several days.

  “What are you working on?” he demanded.

  “Trying to get someone to talk to me.” I sighed and lowered the phone. “I know there’s dirty business going on in the state legislature, but no one wants to talk to me.”<
br />
  “Well, you can hardly blame them.”

  I ignored this, since I knew it wasn’t personal. “I’ll find someone. I might have a new lead, so I’m going to drive out there on Monday.”

  “I know corruption in the state legislature is juicy, but you can’t get caught up in it and forget about everything. I need that Main Street story in less than an hour, so hang up until it’s done.”

  “It’s already done,” I told him, smiling in pleased satisfaction that I’d predicted his demand and gotten in ahead of him.

  He frowned. “I haven’t seen anything.”

  “I just now submitted it. Like, when you were walking over here.”

  “Oh. Good.” His expression relaxed. “Good. So see what you can find out on the corruption story. What are you waiting for?”

  “I’m on it.” I grinned at him, lifting the phone back to my ear. Still on hold. No surprise.

  He turned away. Then stopped and glanced back at me. “You’re doing good, kid.”

  I felt another wave of satisfaction as I gave him a cheesy thumbs-up sign.

  As he walked away, I saw him start to roll back down his sleeves.

  ***

  I called Levi as I drove home after work. It had been a good day, and I wanted to tell him about it. But I was tired and, when I got in the car, I was hit with a familiar kind of poignancy.

  I suddenly knew exactly what I wanted to do that night.

  Levi would probably still be working, but I called anyway, on the off-chance he’d have his phone on him and be able to talk.

  He’d been working really hard lately—for his father and on the homeless shelter. Working hard was good, but I’d started pushing him a little, hoping he’d consider some other options, something else that he could feel was really him.

  He hadn’t come up with anything yet, but I knew he was thinking about it.

  He answered just as I was about to hang up.

  “Hey, baby,” he greeted me. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. Just kind of…” I trailed off, not sure how to explain my mood. It wasn’t bad or sad or anxious in any way. I just wanted to hear his voice.

  He waited a moment and then, when I didn’t finish, prompted, “Just kind of what?”

  “I don’t know. When will you be done for the day?”

  “We’ve got another thirty or forty minutes. Don’t make anything for dinner. I’ve got something else in mind.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “Nothing you need to know.” His voice was almost teasing, but it made me frown anyway.

  “I do kind of need to know since, you know, it involves me.”

  “You’ll know when you need to know.” His voice was a little less warm.

  “I’d like to know now.”

  “I’ve made plans for us.” He sounded overly patient, as if he were trying not to get annoyed with me. “Can we leave it at that?”

  “You know I don’t like you taking over and deciding things for both of us. I already had something else I wanted to do tonight.”

  “What did you want to do?”

  “What does it matter? What matters is—” I broke off the words, fighting against the long-standing resistance to being controlled in any way. I knew Levi better than that by now. If he wasn’t telling me something he’d planned for us, there was a good reason—like he’d planned some sort of romantic evening. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I shouldn’t be all snippy. Your plans were probably good.”

  “No, it’s fine.” His tone sounded different now—more like him when he was being serious. “They were good plans. I was going to surprise you. But if there’s something else you wanted to do—”

  “It’s okay. My thing can be done any time.”

  “What was your thing?”

  I sighed, feeling that swell of poignancy again. “I was thinking about going to visit Gavin’s grave. I’ve just been…missing him.”

  He paused for a minute. “Then let’s do that. I’d like to do it too. That is, if I’m invited.”

  “Of course, you’re invited. I was hoping you’d come. But what about your surprise romantic plans?”

  “What makes you think my plans were romantic?”

  “Oh.” I gave a little laugh. “I just assumed…”

  “Uh huh. I can just imagine all the sappy scenarios you were envisioning. Don’t get your hopes up, princess.”

  “Well, after this morning, you’re not going to get laid tonight, so I hope you weren’t planning some sexual escapade.” I made sure he could tell I was teasing from my tone. “I’m sexed out for the day.”

  “I bet I could make you change your mind about that.”

  I was absolutely positive he could make me change my mind about that, but I wasn’t about to admit it.

  “But, seriously,” he went on. “Let’s do Gavin’s grave tonight. I’ll change my non-romantic, non-sexual-escapade plans for tomorrow.”

  I swallowed over a swell of affection and appreciation for this man. “Are you sure?

  “Yeah. I’m sure.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Save it up for tomorrow. You can thank me extra special then.”

  ***

  A couple of hours later, we were standing together next to Gavin’s grave.

  The sun had just set, so the graveyard was dark, lit by the cool light of a nearly full moon and a sky full of stars.

  Levi wrapped an arm around me, and I leaned against him. I wiped a few years away, but the grief wasn’t overwhelming. It lingered in my heart like a memory.

  “He loved you,” Levi said, after we’d stood in silence for a long time. “He loved you like crazy. If he bossed you around, it was only because he loved you.”

  “I know.” I looked up at Levi, loving him—his strength, his passion, his courage. And his tender heart. “He loved you too.”

  Levi was quiet for a moment before he admitted, “I miss him.”

  “Me too.”

  He leaned down to kiss me.

  “I think he’d be glad we’re together,” I said, wrapping both my arms around him.

  “No, he wouldn’t. He would beat me up if I even thought about touching you.”

  I giggled. “He would have gotten over that. Then he’d be happy.”

  “I hope so.”

  After a few minutes, by mutual agreement, we turned to walk away from the quiet grave. “Thank you for changing your plans,” I said, as I climbed in the car.

  “Of course. Just be preparing yourself for the night of your life tomorrow.”

  “I’m prepared. I’m expecting champagne and oysters and rose petals and candlelight.”

  He snorted. “You’ll get cheap beer and like it. What kind of a man do you think you’re screwing?”

  I laughed, the weight of poignancy from earlier disappearing completely. I reached over to cup his face with one hand, and I know he saw the deep feeling in my eyes because his face transformed with a similar softness for just a moment.

  Then he cleared his throat and started the car. “Since you’ve obviously forgotten, I’ll have to remind you what kind of man you’re screwing just as soon as we get home.”

  “Dream on, buddy. I already told you I’m all sexed out for today and you’re not getting laid tonight.”

  He gave me a smug smile. “We’ll see.”

  So I like to believe I’m a woman of principle, and I would never cave to an arrogant man, no matter how hot he happened to be.

  But occasionally an exception has to be made.

  Levi did end up getting laid that night after all.

  Epilogue

  Levi

  “Another round?” I asked.

  Everyone spoke up in agreement, so I motioned to the waitress to bring over another pitcher of beer before relaxing back in my seat, looking at the three guys who would always be my best friends.

  “So how’s Harper doing?” Sebastian asked.

  I couldn’t help the smile that crept across my face
. “She’s good.”

  “Aw, would you look at that,” Cole said as he reached over and slapped me on the shoulder. “I think he’s blushing. Isn’t he cute?”

  I wanted to tell him to shut up, but the truth was, ever since Harper had shown up at my place with the plant, I couldn’t seem to stop smiling. Life was good, and I didn’t doubt for one second that I was blushing. Just thinking about Harper and how we’d been reconnecting with one another was more than enough reason to blush.

  “Leave him alone,” Declan said. “It’s obvious that he’s having a moment. Chicks do that kind of thing.”

  They all broke out in laughter, and even I joined in. Yeah, I was having a moment, and I was okay with it. I planned on having a lot more moments with Harper. A lifetime of them. A fresh pitcher appeared, and Sebastian did the honors of refilling everyone’s mugs.

  “How’s the building going?” he asked.

  I took a drink before answering. “It’s going great. We were fortunate that there weren’t any structural issues and all of the drywall is up and the painters start on Monday. If everything keeps going at this pace, we’ll be having a ribbon cutting in about three weeks.”

  “That’s great,” Seb said. “Really. I’m glad that you found something you’re enjoying.”

  “Other than Harper,” Cole added with a laugh.

  I almost reached over the table to deck him, but I chose to take the high road. “Yeah, doing the building has definitely been good. But you know what? It’s not something I see myself doing long-term.”

  “So what are you going to do?” Declan asked.

  It was something that had been niggling at the back of my mind for a little while now, something Harper had kept wanting me to think about. I hadn’t discussed it with the guys yet, and I was waiting for a night just like this to present it. “Actually, I was thinking of how good it felt when I was helping Harper.”

  “Yeah, I’ll bet,” Cole said with a snicker.

  “Not like that, you ass. I mean that it was kind of invigorating to figure out the mystery behind it all—the investigating, the protection, knowing that I could help someone that way.”

  This time there were no snide comments. Declan leaned forward on the table. “What are you saying?”