by Delta James
“There’s nothing more to tell. We went out as a group, had fun and came back to our hotel. Becca and I chatted for a minute and then we went to our bedrooms and went to sleep. I woke up late and when I went to wake her, I found her. It was awful. She was tied up with a bag over her head, taped around her neck and over her mouth.”
Hoss let her take a breath. “Then what?”
“I called the hotel concierge to find out who to call and they took care of it. The hotel manager came up, then all the cops and then Vera from the show. Once they found the duct tape, how they treated me changed and went downhill from there.”
“Why did you have duct tape with you?”
She smiled. “A leftover joke from my father. He once fixed something when we were on vacation and he told me there wasn’t anything I couldn’t fix with duct tape and baling twine. I learned that from him. From then on, he always made sure to have it in my luggage. I do it now as a kind of homage in memory of him.”
“Then what?”
“I just felt as though the walls were folding in on me. There was no one there I trusted. I had to quit my job in order to be on the show. After my father died, I spent so much time going to school, traveling, learning and building a career that I felt I had nothing to return to. This place was the first stable home I had and when I left Philadelphia I didn’t even know where I was going until I realized I was headed back here...”
“Why show up on my doorstep?”
She sighed with resignation. “Because I always felt safe here. At one point I thought I would build a life here.”
“Did you?” he snorted. “It doesn’t matter, it was a long time ago. Up you get,” he said as he helped her to stand.
Remi groaned as she disengaged from his cock and got to her feet. Her legs trembled, and she was grateful as he caught her when her knees threatened to buckle. She might have felt comforted by his solicitous behavior had he not tossed her over the arm of the sofa almost as soon as he had her up off his lap. He knelt behind her on the couch and guided his shaft back into her sheath, groaning in male pleasure as he did so.
“God, you feel good,” he grunted as he began to slowly stroke her tight warmth.
Remi knew she should resent this, should protest his use of her anytime he wanted. Had she even made any kind of token resistance to being mounted and feeling him beginning to thrust in and out of her whenever he chose? Had she told him, in any way, that she resented his rough fingering of her bottom hole? Instead, her body accepted... no, not accepted, but welcomed his dominant possession.
Morgan plunged in and out of her with less aggression and speed than he had done before. He seemed intent on savoring her, and if she was being fair, on having her enjoy it as well. Remi couldn’t recall ever feeling a man’s cock in the kind of exquisite detail as he moved in her as she did with Morgan. All of the textures and blood pulsing throughout the rod that pistoned within her heightened the experience.
She had no way to embrace him, no way to do anything other than take what he was giving her. She supposed that was part of what drew her to him—the raw, primal, almost feral sexuality. There were no kind words or whispered endearments, just the sounds of his masculine enjoyment as he fucked her.
Remi tried to rise up from the arm of the sofa. Morgan let loose of her hip with one hand and swatted her ass before grasping the back of her neck and forcing her down. There was no doubt in her mind that he wanted her to know that she was submitting to him, that he was in charge and that she would accept whatever he demanded of her.
She felt his hips begin to move his pelvis harder and faster against her ass. Had her buttocks not been so sore from the spanking he’d given her the night before, it might have felt better. What bothered her wasn’t so much that he was dominating her, but that she was reveling in it. Never before had she felt so alive and so responsive to any man. She wanted only to find ways to please him. He had awoken in her a desire to have her own needs and long-held ideas regarding relations between the sexes overshadowed by one man’s lust and for her capitulation to his will.
As he drove into her harder and faster, her body began to ramp up its response. Never had anyone made her come this much, this hard, or this quickly. Morgan seemed to be committed to ensuring she orgasmed at least twice as often as he did, and as he said, he had a short refractory period. Her body lost its soft compliance as it began to climb steadily toward a resolution only he seemed able to fulfill.
His cock rasped along her interior lining, ensuring she experienced the change in the way he used her. Gone were the long, slow strokes; he had replaced them with deep, harsh pounding as his body prepared to empty himself into her.
He didn’t speak at all, just grunted and growled as he thrust with more deliberation and power. Her sheath seized in spasmodic rhythm all along his length. As the head of his cock hit her cervix, he slammed the base of it into the entrance to her core. She could feel the base swelling as it prepared for his release. Remi’s entire body convulsed as she came hard for him calling his name. He gushed his semen into her in what seemed to be a non-ending torrent.
When it was over, there were no kisses or murmured endearments, just the removal of his hand from her neck before he pulled out and patted the side of her thigh.
“Damn, Remi, you are one fine piece of ass. Now, let’s see what we can do about these bastards that killed Becca. You’re a cook?”
“Actually, a chef,” she said, pushing herself up from the arm of the couch with as much dignity as possible.
“Good. I haven’t had breakfast yet. Why don’t you go wash your face and fix us something to eat.”
“I’m not hungry,” she said softly.
Remi was trying to process all that had transpired. It upset her to think she could be taking so much pleasure from being fucked by Morgan in light of everything that had happened to her in the past week. He reached down the front of her V-neck sweater and played lightly with her nipple before taking hold of either side of her chin and raising her eyes to meet his.
“You need something in your belly. If you don’t want food, that’s fine. You can make me something to eat and then suck me off while I’m eating.”
The ruthless eyes that stared back at her ensured she understood he was giving her an ultimatum.
“No, I’ll make us both something to eat.”
“That’s a good girl. But to be fair, that doesn’t mean I won’t eat your honey for dessert before giving you another load of my cum in your belly. The kitchen is in there,” he said, turning her toward the door.
“Doesn’t it worry you even one little bit that I might escape or find a way to call 9-1-1?”
He laughed. “Not really. But just so you know, all that phone call would do is bring Sheriff Sanders, who would be willing to overlook just about anything to get a taste of you. He’s had a hard-on for you for years. Fact is when we were kids, I actually believed he’d had one.”
“Are you kidding me? I never let that slimy sonofabitch touch me.”
“Yeah; unfortunately, I didn’t figure that out until several months after I decked him and entered the service. Do you need some help finding the kitchen? Would a nice swat to your cute little, albeit red, fanny help?”
Involuntarily, she tucked her tail as she increased the distance between them. Why did he think something had happened between her and Steve? Had Steve said something to that effect that caused Morgan to hit him?
“No, I can find it. Do you want anything in particular for breakfast?”
“Not particularly. Just make sure there’s some kind of meat, eggs, and potatoes.”
“Sure; coming right up...”
“Remi? Watch the attitude. I mean it. I’m not putting up with that ‘you’re too good for the rest of us or this town’ attitude of yours.”
“My what?” she said, turning around to face him.
“You heard me, and as I said, I don’t like to repeat myself. Maybe I need to come in the kitchen and take a woo
den spoon to your butt.”
“No,” she said, hating the sound of trepidation in her voice.
“Then get your ass in there and make us something to eat.”
Not wanting to provoke him, she sought the sanctuary of the kitchen and began to prepare their breakfast. It wasn’t until she was cracking the eggs to make a steak and shaved cheddar frittata that she recalled what Morgan’s father had told her when she had called their house. He must still believe that she had stood him up for his senior prom.
She needed to tell him what really happened. As she put the frittata in the oven to bake, she asked herself why it was important to her that he know the truth. It wasn’t like they’d been a couple. They’d just hung out for a short time before her father had swept her out of town and changed the trajectory of her life. She caught her breath and bit her fist to keep from bursting into tears as she wondered about the ripple effect of that single event.
Was it possible, even in light of all that had happened last night, that she still had feelings for him? Had she returned to Texas not so much to run away from Becca’s murder, but to run to Morgan Bishop?
Chapter Six
Hoss shook his head. He was going to have to keep his guard up to keep himself safe from Remi Caulder. Remington, an apropos name for a woman who’d taken deadly aim at his heart and taken it as a trophy of some kind. He felt his cock stir as flashes of the times he’d driven his cock to its hilt into her during the past twelve hours leaped to the forefront of his brain. Nothing had ever felt better—the way her sheath shuddered and contracted around him as she called his name when she climaxed. And lord God, that woman held nothing back when she came for him. He’d always been able to give his partners three or four orgasms before spilling himself in their depths, but with Remi, he could barely hold out for two.
He walked to the Victrola, unlocked it, and pulled out the sat phone and dialed Murphy. The two had known each other since RIP—Ranger Indoctrination Program—but their backgrounds couldn’t have been more different. Hoss was a born and bred Texas cowboy. Murphy was first generation Irish American out of Boston. The two had become friends that first weekend in RIP training, taking out a small motorcycle gang and claiming their club as the local ranger hangout.
“Murph? What do you know?”
“Talked to Adam. He says the cops are pretty much set on her but don’t have enough to come after her. I did confirm to him that she’s there with you.”
“What does Adam think?”
“He says the circumstantial is strong, but his gut tells him it isn’t her,” replied Murphy. “What do you think?”
“Unless she’s a much better actress than I think she is, it isn’t her. The threat really unnerved her.”
“You want to get her out of there?”
“Not right now. I need to make sure she’s told us all she knows...”
“And ensure that she understands she’s under your protection?”
Hoss couldn’t suppress the grin or the twitching of his cock. “In no uncertain terms.”
“Like permanently?”
“I’m not saying that...”
“But you’re not saying no to the possibility.”
“I’m going to plead the fifth on that.”
“Adam said to keep her safe. He’s trying to arrange for some time off and if he can get away, he thought we ought to head your way. He thinks whoever killed that other chef may not be done and if your Remi didn’t do it... she may truly be in danger. I’ll get Yancy; we should be there by late afternoon.”
“We’ll be fine until you get here. Murph?”
“Yeah, Hoss?”
“We need to keep her safe. It’s important to me.”
“We’ll keep your girl safe. You just make sure she understands she’s your girl. If that means she can’t sit down for a couple of weeks, so be it.”
Hoss turned around to find Remi standing with two plates of food and a dumbfounded expression on her face.
“Eavesdropping, Remi? In case I didn’t mention it, that’s against the rules.”
She continued to stare at him without saying a word.
Grabbing the proverbial bull by the horns, he asked, “Anything we need to talk about? Anything you’re unclear about?”
“I just came in as you were hanging up. You have help coming? Do you think that’s necessary?”
“This from the woman that bolted from Philly and drove straight through to Texas?”
“Do you think they’d come after me? Here?”
“Unknown. Could be your leaving will take you off their radar, but if they’re professionals or depending on their motivation, they won’t stop until we stop them one way or another. If they know you’re here, it won’t take much for them to figure out you’d come to me.”
“Why? It’s been more than two decades since we’ve even spoken.”
“And whose fault is that? I’m surprised you even remembered the name of this town after you left it in a trail of dust.” He stood up and took the plates from her. “Let’s go sit at the kitchen table. From now on if I put you in or send you to a room, you stay there until I tell you different. I don’t need you sneaking around and causing trouble.”
Hoss turned his back on her and started to leave the room.
“You’re wrong, you know.”
“I doubt it,” he said. “But for the sake of argument, about what?”
“What happened that night.”
“Prom was a long time ago, Remi. I put it, and you, behind me. Let’s eat.”
“I told you I wasn’t hungry. I only cooked...”
“Because I told you to, and I told you if you didn’t want food, you could have a load of my cream in your belly. Fact is, you’ll probably get one either way after I’ve eaten. Nothing makes me hornier than a good meal with a naked woman to play with while I’m eating it. Let’s go in the kitchen and you can get naked.”
He watched as the fire in her eyes sprang back to life.
“No! I’m done being threatened and used by you. I’m not sure why I came here last night, but clearly, I made a mistake. Since you put my car up on blocks, I’ll just borrow one of your vehicles and drive to San Antonio to enlist the aid of the Texas rangers.”
“You think so?” he asked. “Let me get this straight, you plan to drive on some pretty desolate highway between here and San Antonio with killers looking to take you out? You know, Remi, that’s almost as stupid as you forgetting that you’re under my protection and that I make use of you whenever I want.”
He transferred both plates to one hand and had her by a fistful of hair before she ever saw him move.
“Come along, Remi. It seems you need a refresher course about who’s who in this relationship.”
“We don’t have a relationship, you asshole,” she snarled. “We hung out when we were kids, you got your feelings hurt by something you assumed I did, and now because someone I was on a reality show with has been murdered and my life was threatened, you think you can have your way with me.”
“Have my way? You sure talk fancy, Remi. We’ll see how well you talk with my cock stuffed in your mouth.”
He half led, half dragged her back to the kitchen where he put one plate on the table and the other in the sink without letting her go. He hauled her over to the harvest table and sprawled her across it, lifting the sweater to expose her backside. She barely had time to steel herself before the first slap hit her already punished bottom.
Hoss couldn’t believe she still had such a defiant attitude. While he liked her spirit, she was going to need to learn to obey and that needed to start now. He spanked her ass hard five times until she started to cry out and then bit her lip to strangle the sound.
“You’re going to regret that, Remi. If your backside is so trashed that another spanking won’t be effective, I have other ways of getting through to you.”
He dragged her over to the kitchen island and used his body to trap her in place while he reached in a b
eautiful pottery bowl that contained dry root goods—onions, garlic, and ginger. He cut a large piece of ginger off and proceeded to carve it into a cylindrical shape with a flared base and scored the skin of the root.
He lifted her until he had positioned her so that the upper half of her body was lying on top of the butcher block. He trapped her in place and chuckled as he dipped his fingers into her pussy, and she hissed as just a bit of the ginger juice made contact with her delicate tissue.
“You sadistic bastard. It’s not funny.”
“I’m not laughing at your reaction to the bit of ginger juice that got in your snatch. I apologize for that. I didn’t mean for that to happen. I was chuckling that your pussy has lots of nice honey, which will be helpful. I’m going to have to get around to eating you at some point.”
“Then why did you finger me?”
“I wanted to get this piece of ginger lubed up. You’re going to have a little lesson in having your bottom hole punished when you misbehave.”
He pinned her down, spread her ass cheeks, and slid the scored ginger root past her dark rosebud into the cavity beyond.
* * *
Remi wasn’t sure why Morgan thought the piece of ginger would bother her. The finger he’d used previously to fuck her with was larger and he’d used it more roughly. As her mind was finishing that thought, the ginger juice began to seep out of the root into her bottom hole, setting off an altogether unpleasant burning sensation. Unlike before when the sting had morphed to something akin to pleasure, the ginger just burned.
“Oh, my God, Morgan, take it out!” she cried.
“First, you don’t get anything while you’re caterwauling. Second, I stuck that ginger up there to make a point. Given your reaction, I’d guess it’s doing the trick. I’ll remove it once I’m sure about that and not before. When I do, you’re going to take your sweater off, hand it to me and go sit on the table by my plate with your legs spread. Then I’m going to have my breakfast while I play with you and enjoy watching you get wetter. After that I’ll see to feeding you.”
